This summer I had the opportunity to work with ESI Construction for my externship. ESI is a General Contractor company that has been in business for 51 years, working in 43 states and 36 countries with 925 employees.

Through the years I have worked on several construction sites and with a number of contractors prior to becoming a welding instructor. I have never (until now) had the pleasure of working with a company that “literally” walks the talk. What I mean by this is that from the first day I walked into the office I was told that this is a company that is all about the employees and that safety is the number one priority. I hear this all the time, so I just brushed it, by expecting to see the same thing I always see. Safety looks good on paper, but it does not help the bottom line or dead lines, it seems to always get pushed to the side when it gets in the way of getting the job done.

In a very short period of time, I came to see that for ESI this is not the case. When they say that the employees come first and that safety is important, it would be an understatement. ESI’s relentless pursuit of safety in everything they do is so that their employees and subcontractors make it home to their families every day. This is at the core of everything they do and are. Hands down the most impressive company I have had the privilege of working with.

I had the opportunity to visit several different job sites during my time with ESI these sites included community living, commercial, special projects and self-perform divisions. I also had the opportunity to attend several trainings. The trainings I attended were lock out tag out, mental health first aid, crane awareness, CWI brazing camp, OSHA 10, and OSHA 30.

I will be sharing this experience with my students as well as the staff at my school. Being able to bring in this culture to my classroom, lab, and possibly my school could be amazing.