Meet a team member who’s climbing the Metal Works ladder
Back in 2014, Tou Lee came to Metal Works directly from the Butte College welding program. As one of Butte College’s champions in the industry, Metal Works had a booth set up at the school’s job fair. Students visiting the booth learned they could stay local for their first jobs in the welding trade.
That’s where Tou learned we were hiring.
Joining us early in his career, Tou has been an essential part of our team from day one. He began with Metal Works as a welder, progressed to welder fitter, and then to quality control, and most recently he’s been promoted to Facility Foreman.
In Quality Control, Tou was responsible for ensuring all items in the plant met Metal Works’ quality standards. As Facility Foreman, he now oversees two areas of the warehouse:
- Structural (where we construct structural building components) and
- Miscellaneous (where we construct just about everything else).
He works hands-on with welders to make sure all items we produce meet our standards, and he’s the person responsible for correcting errors and guiding workers so standards are met in the future.
Because Tou has been at Metal Works for nearly a decade and worked his way up, he knows the company inside and out and has a firm understanding of our process, our culture, and the people who work here. He knows what’s required for quality, integrity, and timeliness, and he plays a big role in keeping those qualities up to standard.
“In this new role,” said Tou, “I am most excited about the opportunity to train and work alongside the people at Metal Works. I also get excited about seeing the growth and development of the workers’ job skills.”
Tou is well-liked across the Metal Works campus, and he’s known to have a clear, helpful way of explaining things to the fabrication team.
At Metal Works, we highly value internal promotions and believe our employees are our greatest and most important assets. “When you have employees who understand the industry and promote within,” said Kristine Shoemaker, our Vice President of Human Resources and Safety Culture, “they take those skills with them. They are adding tools to their toolbox.”
Tou agrees: “Metal Works gives me the opportunity to grow in this field of work, and they value their employee and their families.”
If you’re looking for an exciting and dynamic company in an exciting industry to begin or continue your career, consider joining Tou and the rest of the team at Metal Works.
Congratulations, Tou, on your recent promotion, and thanks for all you do for the Metal Works team!