一品探花

NWP Employee Spotlight Series:
Illuminating Stories from the People of NWPX Infrastructure

At NWPX, our team members are the foundation of our success, and we take pride in our skilled and talented workforce. This series shares the inspiring stories and career journeys of employees from different departments and locations. In each installment, we interview one of our team members and delve into their experiences, challenges, and accomplishments, and discover why they choose to build their career with NWPX.

Spotlight on: Rick Guerrero

Welder III | Adelanto, CA

For nearly a quarter of a century, Richard Guerrero鈥攌nown to everyone as Rick鈥攈as been building some of the most complex fittings that come through 一品探花 Company鈥檚 Adelanto facility, from small custom pieces to supersize sections of pipe. In his role as Welder III, Rick thrives on tackling challenging projects, mentoring others in safety practices, and finding pride in the teamwork that makes it all possible. His story is one of resilience, growth, and commitment to the craft.

How did you find your way to your current role?

I started here in September 2000 as a temp in maintenance. I was hired full-time in 2001, moved into fabrication and got to work with all the different welding processes, fitting, and operating the shop cranes. I was promoted to lead, did safety, and then I went back to being a fabricator on the floor. I like it more than being in the office鈥擨 like building stuff, I always have.

After 24 years, what makes you want to stay with the Company?

Being part of the team with everyone else here in the shop gives a sense of fulfillment鈥攅specially with our leadership and shop management. It鈥檚 a welcoming place that I like coming back to every day. There鈥檚 also a sense of pride that comes with the work. We build things here that I鈥檓 very proud of. I take pictures of some jobs, and when people ask, 鈥榃hat do you do?鈥� I can show them, and they can鈥檛 believe it鈥攑ipe that鈥檚 as big as or bigger than the trucks that haul it!

How would you summarize what you do (in a nutshell)?

I鈥檓 a welder, fabricator, fitter. Anything that鈥檚 not standard鈥攃ross pieces, elbows, large diameter, heavy wall thickness鈥攁nything that engineers can design for water transmission, we can build it.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Each day is a fresh start. In the morning, the lead hands out assignments and prioritizes tasks. We check the drawings and job specs, verify the parts, do dimensional checks, and make sure everything matches up. If it鈥檚 a complicated piece, we work with the leads and supervisors to figure out the best order to build it. Then, the Quality Control team comes in to inspect and give the okay for welding.

What do you find most rewarding or exciting about your job?

When you see something on paper that looks impossible and then you鈥檙e able to build it. That鈥檚 rewarding. Some jobs are really tight on specs, kind of a nail-biter, and the measurements need to be exact. When you get it right and it lands just the way you want, that鈥檚 like hitting the bullseye or bowling a strike.

Describe a favorite project you’ve worked on so far.

The recent Yuba Water Agency project was a big one鈥攁 14-foot diameter pipe with 1.5鈥� walls, over 80,000 pounds. We had to modify our equipment to handle it. Another one was from a few years ago, we did a project for Greater Vancouver Regional District in Canada鈥攂ig tunnel pipe that had to be disassembled before shipping, dropped down into a tunnel, reassembled, and welded in place. That was a challenge, but it came together.

You recently won the “Safety Star” Award鈥攚hy is safety so important to you?

It鈥檚 important that everyone gets here safe and leaves safe every day. I鈥檝e learned a lot from our safety programs here, and I like being able to share that with others鈥攖alking about safety protocols, hazards, and ways to keep people aware. In this industry, there are a lot of dangers鈥攆orklifts, cranes, ladders鈥攁nd things can get unsafe very quickly. For example, falls were the leading cause of workplace fatalities in our industry in the U.S. and California in 2023. That shows how important it is to take safety seriously and keep it top of mind.

What advice do you have for someone starting a career in your field?

Show up every day, pay attention to your surroundings, and listen to the people who have the experience. Take their advice, establish yourself as a good worker, and always think about safety.

What do you do for fun outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my grandkids鈥擨鈥檝e got five of them. Also, my wife and I like to go to concerts, listen to music at clubs, vacation, and travel around Southern California.