Erik P.
“The skilled trades are in my blood. My father was a jack of all trades, and he passed a lot of his knowledge on to me. Once I got into the workforce, I found myself following in his footsteps. I worked at factories, service shops, and construction companies, always learning new things about the trades and picking up new skills. Just about every place I worked, I ended up in some sort of manager role, just because I would try to learn as much as I could about the equipment and the work.
Then, for a couple years, I found myself out of the trades entirely, working as the manager for a bar and restaurant. It was a big change of pace for me, but I loved working with people so it felt like a decent fit anyway. One night, I was chatting with a customer and we got to talking about where he worked. There was an opening for an electrical apprentice at his company and he asked if I was interested. Next thing I knew, I was working in the trades again. Eventually, that opportunity led to Windemuller. My company was subcontracted to help with fire alarm systems for a Windemuller project at Cornerstone University and they sent me. I loved working with the Windemuller guys, and they were impressed by my skills with fire alarm systems. I ultimately applied for a job with Windemuller, and joined the team officially in February 2019. My career since then has continued to be a winding road. I’ve done work on temperature control systems, served briefly as a communications foreman, and ultimately landed as a panel builder at the Wayland office. I have been fascinated by automated systems for my entire career; now, I get to work on them every day. It’s been a whirlwind journey, but I can honestly say that I love working at Windemuller. The way this company treats its people and goes out of its way to help employees achieve their career goals is something I haven’t seen elsewhere.My managers in the communications department, for example, were gracious enough to recognize my passion for automation and encourage me to move in that direction. It’s a great environment to be in, and a place where I really think I can grow my career and get to where I’ve always wanted to be.”