RECOGNIZING AND GROWING POTENTIAL
The company president has a knack for noticing promise in people, and believes that it is important to give employees the opportunity to grow and develop. A decade ago that in- tuition led him to train a helper in the field, Jesus Lumbreras, to become a Quality Control Manager.
“I could tell that he was somebody who really cared about what he did, and he showed a lot of potential,” recalls Chavarria.
Back then, Lumbreras knew very little English, but Viking Fence obtained language-learning software to help him learn the language. “Within three to four months he had a working English vocabulary and was writing emails to people, and after a year he was fluent,” says Chavarria. “He’s been with the company for over 10
years now and is one of our biggest success stories.”
“I’m very happy I was given the op- portunity to do this and always do my best to help Sal because he is a good boss,” says Lumbreras. Today, Lumbreras serves as Branch Manager of
the company’s Austin Rental
Fence Division. “From the time Sal bought the company it has grown and [gotten] better,” he continues. “He helps everyone and not just inside the company but outside too.”
Another employee who has bene- fited from Chavarria’s altruism is Jimmy Clanin, a Commercial Estima- tor at Viking Fence. Like his colleague, Clanin emphasizes that Chavarria is “a great leader to work for.”
“Sal saw something in me, and it is gratifying to have your hard work noticed by someone,” shares Clanin. Originally, he worked for a company
HIGH HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
Chavarria’s dedication to improving the lives of others is not limited just to employees. A year ago, he started a pilot program at his company that brings temporary foreign workers from Mexico to the U.S. to learn the fencing trade.
At the company’s expense, the firm spends several months training these individuals who would not nor- mally have the opportunity to attain craftsman skills. This training allows them to return home and find viable jobs to support their families—and possibly even pay the favor forward to others down the line, confirms Ruben Rodriguez, General Manager of the company’s Garland branch.
To date, a total of 12 foreign workers have participated in the program. Chavarria hopes to one day expand this initiative to include people from other countries as well.
Whether he’s building up an em- ployee’s confidence, or creating op- portunities for individuals in the local community and abroad, Chavarria’s enthusiasm to help others will undoubtedly inspire hope for a brighter future.
Sal Chavarria, Owner and President of Viking Fence Co.
Author Bio: Alyssa Norton is a contributing author located in Tyler, Texas.
that sold supplies to Viking Fence; later, he was offered a position at the fencing company, where he has been for the last six years. “One of the amazing things about working for Sal is having the autonomy to make our own decisions and that he trusts us enough to do so.”
POWERED BY THE BLUE BOOK NETWORK - SAN ANTONIO - AUSTIN / FALL 2016
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