As Ramon Soto sat in his office, he picked up a material sample from his desk that had been used as a paperweight for the past 20 years (not even half the time Ramon had been at Eberhard). He explained he “never thought he would be here saying ‘I’m going to retire.’”
In June 1977 Eberhard took an energetic kid that was willing to try something new and put him in tear-off. Tear-off defines your grit and Ramon had it. Ramon described his first day on the roof in Long Beach where he “loved being right by the water,” saying “after working in the bank for a year, I ended up getting a dirty job, and I was really sore.” “This [was] hard work.” He received some reassurance from his brother that he would get used to it and sure enough he did. “I was pretty gung-ho; I had a lot of energy. I was eager to go to different places and different jobs.”
Ramon’s professional path took him through several positions, each compounding his knowledge and success at Eberhard and within the industry. He went from Apprentice to Journeyman, from Foreman to Superintendent, and from Service Manager to Estimator. Ramon advised, “Just keep learning and don’t forget what you know.”
Ramon has a lot to be proud of, but a standout project for him was Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. This was his favorite job because he recalled being “proud of taking on a lot of responsibility and challenges” that came with a high-profile historical project.
He’s “most proud of just selling good work, keeping the guys busy.” He makes it sound so simple, but that task is not a light one. To land a contract it takes countless clients, phone calls, roof walks, gas mileage, estimates, change orders, etc.…and Ramon did this over and over again. Ramon had been dependable for the past 50 years at Eberhard. Whether it’s bringing in work or mentoring an employee, Ramon always delivered for his team.
Brian Mowatt said “Time flies when you’re having a great time. I remember the work we used to do together, for I believe his name was John, I would do the sloped applications and you, Tavo, Larry and Jimbo would do the hot work. When Eberhard had no work for us you kept us busy. That was before you became a Project Manager/Estimator which helped Eberhard to always have work for our people.”
Ramon expressed, “Eberhard is a good company; they take care of you.” What became very apparent is that Ramon had been a big part in building that company culture. He was a teammate that wanted to see his colleagues, company, and clientele collectively succeed. He recognized people and projects aren’t perfect but never let imperfection slow him down. “I enjoy when you get good jobs, but then you get a bad job, things happen. You meet certain contractors you like; you meet certain contractors you don’t like.” Ramon advised, “Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve just got to get along.”
Retirement can be a big change in pace. Brian shared, “Ramon, now you are going into the next chapter of your life in retirement. I know that you will be sorely missed here, because you are one of a kind, but I also know that you will have a great and well-deserved next chapter in your life.”
Ramon shared, “I’ve made a lot of friends here, and I have friends that have passed away, some really good friends.” “I will miss the people here, the friends, the employees, the coworkers, I’ll miss everyone.” Standing in the hallway he reflected, “We’ve done a lot of growing up here.”
Dave Stefko explained, “There is not another person in the company who could keep up with the energy, work ethic, skill, knowledge, and commitment to our customers as Ramon. There are no words of appreciation that can express the gratitude of a grateful company whose people for the last 50 years have benefited individually and as a whole from Ramon’s time at Eberhard. The career you leave behind will be a goal for those who set their sights high and believe given opportunity, all things are possible.”
“You only retire once. This is it. Next step,” Ramon said. Retirement is a recognition of time and a celebration of how you used it. Ramon didn’t waist a second of it. Congratulations on a successful career and know that your friendships built here extend beyond the Eberhard gate.
