Early Days
I started in 2002 as an apprentice in the Operating Engineers and began working under my dad on a paving crew. I started at the bottom, shoveling more asphalt than I care to remember — learning paving from the ground up and what it takes to provide a good product. I mastered the role of a shovel man and moved up to raking and fixing joints to ensure a seamless mat.
Although I got occasional time on equipment, most of my experience came from hard work on the ground. Eventually, I worked my way up to rubber tire roller, then steel drum roller, and occasionally paver operator. They were long, hot days, but over the course of my three-year apprenticeship, I learned everything from groundwork to finished product. I became a full journeyman and continued my career for the next 10 years in Las Vegas, NV.
