Employee Spotlight: Japheth Maradiaga, Welder

 

What do you do at Gilbert Industries?

Welder

 

What is a typical day for you like here at work?

For this new job site right here in St. Louis we come in the morning and do 2 sections every day, help them fit it, weld it out and keep going to the next section.

 

How long have you been at Gilbert Industries?

A little over a year.

 

What brought you here?

I’ve always wanted to travel for work. I never had the opportunity to be honest. Before this, I was working at a shop. I almost did a career change. I was going to be a truck driver, but then Jeremy showed me this. Ever since then it’s been great for me, I love it.

 

What part of the job do you find most fulfilling?

I would say once the whole job is done it’s kind a cool taking a step back, looking at it, and knowing I built that. Also another thing I like is learning, I am so eager to learn.

 

What do you like most about working at Gilbert?

I just love traveling, I love the work environment, my supervisors, Luke, Bryce, and the two owners are real cool. I really like it. I can see myself working here for a long time to be honest.

 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I like to explore wherever I’m at with my wife. I travel with her because she does travel work as well. If we’re at a job site that’s 3 months or more, she’s able to travel, if not she just stays at home. We eat a lot, we’re really foodie people. We’ve been doing little outdoor things here lately too. In Phoenix we went to Vegas, the Grand Canyon, up in Flagstaff, there’s a lot things nearby that I really like.

 

What is your professional and educational background before Gilbert?

Before Gilbert, I used to work at a fab shop. I got there initially as a polisher, one of the lowest things in the shop, and worked my way up and found myself fabricating eventually for that company. Prior to that, I used to work for a pool company.

 

What is a specific project that you are proud of or that was particularly memorable?

The Phoenix one. I was there for a full year, I learned so much. Wanting to learn other things drives me. I ended up learning how to lay out things on the top head, fit sections of the tank. I liked that it was a cryo tank. I like a challenge.

 

What are you most looking forward to over the next year?

Professionally: Learning more. I know one day I’m confident I can become a supervisor. I know I got a long way to go but that is one thing that drives me.

Personally: I still want to travel but I start want to look for a home and start a family.

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Check out more of our projects that Japheth has his hands on here.

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