Oscar Garcia

Production Supervisor, Minnesota Plate

A jack of many trades. A leader focused on service. Always striving to learn more.

Oscar Garcia joined Olympic Steel in 2001 as a shop helper, ready to learn. And, boy, did he learn! Before we had formal training programs, Oscar learned how to operate every single piece of equipment in the shop by asking questions in his spare time. He would find 30 minutes each day to spend learning how to operate another machine including the water plasma tables, shotblaster, lasers, hy-def plasma table, oxy burners and the overhead crane.

Once Oscar was confident he could run a particular machine, he would complete the competency checklist and earn the qualified operator certificate. His qualified machine operator status allowed him to sign up for his choice of the best overtime hours available – how clever is that?

In 2016, Oscar was promoted to Production Supervisor. He said the people on his team were not only accepting of his new role; they were happy, because they knew Oscar understood their jobs and could truly support them. He prides himself on leading by service and says, “Helping my team is why I am here.” He always encourages team members to apply for the next position in the shop.

His story doesn’t end here. Oscar used Olympic Steel’s tuition reimbursement program to complete his associate degree. Today he is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Operations Management.

All in all, Oscar says his hard work combined with the opportunities available have added up to a happy and satisfying career.