In a steel yard at the age of eighteen, a young Eleazar Valdez was offered by a friend and co-worker to learn welding, he adamantly accepted the opportunity. Determined to master the trade, he spent his lunch breaks applying the skills he had learned. He even missed out on “parties and barbeques” he said with a smile, to work on his craft. In 90 days he became a MIG (metal inert gas) welder, and in an additional 90 days became a skilled TIG (tungsten inert gas) welder. Unbeknownst to him, the time he invested as a teenager would lead to a rewarding 27 year career in welding at General Electric. Unfortunately after nearly three decades, Eleazar was laid off. Though this displacement was daunting, in April of 2017 he was offered a welding position at RPS.
RPS saw the potential in Eleazar's skill set and offered him the opportunity to become PED Certified. “PED (Pressure Equipment Derivative) is the standard for the fabrication and design of pressure equipment. Any pressure equipment used in the European Union must be PED certified.
Eleazar received his PED certification in July. This certification will allow RPS to complete special welding jobs on site saving time, energy and money.
“Thank you for giving me a chance”, Eleazar smiled.