Francisco Pineda

Francisco Pineda, 22 Years at W.B. Hopke and Still Going Strong as Foreman

W.B. Hopke would like to recognize the outstanding level of effort and dedication to our company by Francisco Pineda. We value and thank Francisco for 22 years with our company and we hope his story will resonate with our newer employees as to what it takes to be successful at W.B. Hopke.

Francisco Pineda was encouraged by a family member to apply for a job with W.B. Hopke Co. in April of 2001. He was hired by Manuel Bonilla. It was apparent from the start that Franscisco was a self-starter, eager to get ahead and learn as much as he could at Hopke. Before being promoted to foreman, like many at Hopke, he worked his way up from one position to the next. He started as an operator and worked that position for about a year. Then based on his performance, he caught the eye of management and was quickly promoted to operate the scratcher. After mastering the scratcher, he worked on the backhoe, and then the excavator. He excelled on the equipment.

As a Foreman at Hopke, Francisco has numerous responsibilities. He manages crews, and he is placed on long-term and short-term projects as he is needed. His main priorities are to ensure his crews have what they need to get their job done, accurately and on time. Another big aspect of his job is to make sure his team is safe. “We deal with heavy equipment in tight spaces and I don’t want to see any of my guys getting hurt on the job so I stay up on the safety procedures. It requires a lot of paperwork and compliance work,” said Francisco.

When asked what he likes about working for Hopke, Francisco said, “Hopke has always been great about keeping their employees busy. Where many construction firms let employees go and lay them off for a spell when they get slow, Hopke always has a steady stream of business. There’s always plenty to do and plenty to keep everyone busy. You can always depend on Hopke to keep us busy and our paychecks coming in.”

Since working at Hopke, there are many memories that Francisco can point to. In particular, he appreciates the fact that Hopke has always taken care of him and the employees. “Over the years they have provided me and my team with bonuses, organized employee picnics and Christmas gatherings to show appreciation, and that means a lot. If you work hard for Hopke, you move up the ladder and they will help you succeed,” said Francisco.

When asked about the advice he would give to the younger employees or what they need to do to succeed at Hopke, Francisco said, “I have had many opportunities to learn at Hopke. Much of what I have learned, I have learned on my own. I’m a self-starter and received help and training when I needed it. To the employees I’d say learn as much as you can. Be willing to watch, listen and work hard at your job, and you will move up in the company too.”

Francisco Pineda has been married to his wife Dolores Rivera for more than 20 years. He has a son Josh who currently works for Hopke as well. Francisco said his son will soon go off to college to pursue an education in IT and computers.

Although Francisco spends much of his time and weekends working for Hopke, he loves spending time visiting his mom, family and friends in El Salvador. “I like to save up my time, work as many hours as I can, so I can have an extended vacation to visit my family in El Salvador. I sometimes go there for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, once per year,” he said.

Francisco likes to fish and the simple pleasures associated with being outdoors, exercising and running at least 2 times a week to stay in shape. He also loves good food and especially likes to cook out and eat BBQ. Said Francisco, “God has blessed me with a wonderful family, good health and a good job to support my family. I am thankful to Him for the life He has provided to me and to the Hopkes as well.”

Francisco has worked with many people in his 22 years at Hopke and was primarily influenced by Chuck Johnson and Manuel Bonilla. W.B. Hopke would like to thank Francisco for telling us his story and playing such a crucial role in our company as we continue to grow.

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