My brother was a painter with Arana and he introduced me to Catherine and Ernesto, and they started me off working in the warehouse. This was in 2009; I was 22 years old at the time. I was in charge of keeping the shop clean, keeping materials stocked, cleaning brushes, rollers and equipment, and doing entry-level paint tasks such as sanding and scraping the cabinet doors that get brought back to our location for refinishing.

After proving myself in that position, I was offered an opportunity to work on a crew and fully learn the trade and the craft of painting. I was put on a two-person team with our current Production Manager, Juan Rivas and I gained valuable skills and insights from him – as well as other experienced Crew Leaders. After that, I was promoted to Crew Leader myself and then in January 2023, I was offered the opportunity to become Arana’s Estimator. It has been exciting to progress in the company like this!

What matters most to me about painting is the end result. When we start on a project, we are looking at a house that is really in need of repair and restoration, and the paint process and the eventual revival of that house is so satisfying to see. The end result is beautiful, another house transformed – healed from the past effects of weather and time.

Now that I am Arana’s Estimator, I use the knowledge I gained in the field to inform each one of my site visits. I know what it takes to do the job right, because I learned Arana’s ‘Craftsman Way’ and I did those jobs myself.

I treat every one of our clients' homes as if it were my own home. We provide a good product that clients are happy with and that I can feel proud of. That’s how I am in my own life; and that is my overall philosophy: Do things right. It just has to be that way.

I have always worked to make things better around me. I always want to keep learning and growing. And of course I want to provide for my family: My wife, my stepdaughter whom I have helped to raise and who is now in college, and our younger daughter who is almost 2 and loves to play soccer. She has her own ball that she kicks around. Almost every day we play with her ball; I juggle it and she laughs. When she gets old enough I’m going to put her on a team!

Now, in my second year as Estimator for Arana, I see a career path ahead of me full of possibility. I enjoy meeting new clients and discussing your projects, making recommendations for the best approach, and bringing your homes up-to-date on maintenance. Being in this role is the perfect application of my skills and values. It is work I feel really good about. I look forward to meeting you on your next site visit!