Carlos Hernandez

Foreman Carlos Hernandez With W.B. Hopke for More Than 25 Years and Still Going Strong

When you ask Carlos Hernanadez how he has succeeded with W.B. Hopke for more than twenty-five years, his answer is simple. “I love my job and what I do.”

Carlos was encouraged by family member, Orlando Hernandez, to come to work for Hopke in 1998. At first, he was a little hesitant to leave his job, but Orlando encouraged him and said that if he came to work for Hopke, he would make more money and could even move up in the company. So, he left his construction position, came to work for Hopke and never looked back until today. We asked Carlos to share his story with the other Hopke employees, our clients and vendors. Here’s Carlos’ story.

Carlos held several positions before he became a foreman for Hopke. He said, “I have been a construction worker, an operator, then I was promoted to run the track loader and ran that machine for 6 months and I excelled at my job. Finally, Chuck Johnson promoted me to foreman to run the crews for projects. I’ve been a foreman now for 20 years.”

As a foreman on Hopke projects, Carlos has numerous management responsibilities. But most important to him is keeping is crew safe. He makes sure that they follow all the safety procedures for each project as safety rules can change from project to project. “The last thing I want is one of my men getting hurt on a job,” says Carlos. He enjoys helping his men accomplish their specific tasks and is always available to answer their questions.

When asked what his favorite part of the job is, Carlos said, “I like working with the men. They trust me and I like helping them to accomplish their tasks. Everyone on my crew is essential to the work at hand, and I need to be there to ensure the project is on schedule and that tasks are being completed properly. I enjoy helping the guys and keeping the project moving.”

When asked about his favorite memories, he was most proud of the fact that in all the years he’s been with Hopke, he’s only had one minor incident in the field with a crew member. This is a remarkable accomplishment when you consider he has worked on hundreds of projects and his crews have booked thousands of man hours.

Asked if he had any advice for the newer employees working for Hopke, Carlos was quick to answer, “I love my crew. I always remind them that if they come to work on time, work hard at their jobs and if they focus and do the job right, there’s always room to advance in the company.”

When Carlos is not on the job, he is a dedicated family man. He has been married for more than 23 years to his wife Teresa. He has 2 daughters, one age 23 and the other age 18. For fun, he and his family enjoy going to restaurants, camping, cooking in the woods and listening to music. He loves fishing at colonial beach for catfish and striped bass.

Carlos has had a great career with Hopke and enjoys coming to work every day. He has faced many challenges. “As a foreman with Hopke, my primary responsibilities are to my men and my company and keeping the project on track. Superintendent Chuck Johnson taught me, and as the jobs have gotten larger and more complex, I try to teach my guys in the same way. We had six crews when I started with Hopke, and now we have more than 23 crews working on projects in multiple locations. It is important that I teach my guys everything I know to help them with their careers.”

Contact W.B. Hopke about a career in utility installation and site work at 703-971-0404 or info@wbhopke.com.