Current Position: Superintendent / Pipefitting Apprentice Program Instructor
Started with M&D in: 2002 and 2006
Started as: Plumber Helper

Starting out as a helper, Brian Matlock first came to M&D Mechanical at the encouragement of an employee. A long commute to work made it difficult for him to stay with the company and he left to go into residential construction for a short time. He returned to M&D Mechanical in 2006 and began taking steps to move his career forward with the company.

Brian has a lot of drive to do things that will improve him. He entered the pipefitting apprentice program at the North Alabama Craft Training Center and worked hard through the coursework to become a pipefitter. From there, he was promoted to a foreman and then again to a supervisor position. Brian even went through the long, hard process to obtain a medical gas certification, something that few people in the industry in this area have done. This year, Brian has taken on a new role – instructor for the pipefitting apprentice program.

His advice: "Work hard. Pay attention. Listen and ask questions. Keep a  positive attitude. I asked a lot of questions and watched the older workers when I was younger."

Current Position: Material and Equipment Coordinator
Started with M&D in: 2000
Started as: Office Position for the Huntsville Hospital Projects

Though currently in the office, Tama started her career in the field as a pipe helper. She worked in construction for several years, learning electrical and structural welding skills before leaving construction for an office job. It did not take very long before Tama realized how much she missed the culture and people in the construction industry.

Tama joined M&D Mechanical Contractors in 2000, working out of the company's Huntsville Hospital office. She handled the company's payroll and invoicing for Huntsville Hospital projects, but the new job put her back in the construction industry that she loved. Through persistence, Tama became the material and equipment coordinator for the main company office. The high-energy position keeps her busy every day, but Tama loves that her job is never boring.

For women in construction, Tama says that they have to work a little harder and need to make sure that they want to be in the industry. Though in a male-dominated field, Tama feels that her hard work has allowed her to be successful, and that being a woman has not kept her back. She also believes that her knowledge of the field has really contributed to her ability to do her job even better.

Her advice: "This is a great industry to be in, but you have to love it. Try it, and learn everything that you can. Be consistent and show enthusiasm.”

Current Position: Pipefitter Helper
Started with M&D in: 2013
Started as:Pipefitter Helper

Gustavo Sanchez started working with his Dad in the family’s painting business right after high school. When work got slow, he started looking and ended up with Taylor Construction in Courtland as a Pipefitter Helper. He liked the work, and when Taylor Construction closed down, he made the move to M&D Mechanical Contractors.

Gustavo is in his second year of Pipefitting school. M&D offers classes for all trades, and Gustavo has chosen to follow through on getting his Pipefitting certification. He goes to a three-hour class on Monday nights for four years to earn his certification.

Gustavo enjoys working at M&D, especially because he gets along with everyone and really likes both his co-workers and supervisors.

His advice: "Just work hard.”

Current Position: Pipefitter
Started with M&D in: 2010
Started as: Pipefitter Helper

Nathan Terry fell in love with pipefitting when he came to M&D Mechanical and worked on his first pipefitting job. His father was a welder for more than 45 years, and Nathan had followed him into the construction industry. It wasn't until he experienced pipefitting that he found where he wanted to be in the industry. Unlike welding where you may do the same welds every day, pipefitting gave Nathan the opportunity to work on many different types of projects. It was still hard work, but being able to see the results of that work at the end of the day made it worth it to Nathan.

Starting out as a helper at M&D Mechanical, Nathan made the decision to take advantage of the company's training opportunities, enrolling in the four-year pipefitting apprentice program at the North Alabama Craft Training Center. In 2014, Nathan was named the "Top Apprentice" of his class and was honored at the 2014 North Alabama Excellence in Construction Awards by the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) North Alabama Chapter.

His advice: "If you are just starting out, go into an apprentice program. Once you are done with it, you can prove that you have the skills you need for the job. You can prove that you can do what you say you can do."