Working at Geneva Rock has been a family affair for the Hansens. Gary, who has been with the company since 1995, has worked with each of his three children through the years. Currently, he gets to interact with his daughter Nicole.
“It’s been great working with my kids,” Gary said. “I’ve taken Nicole in the truck all over the place. She’s always been interested in what I do and in Geneva Rock’s work.”
As soon as an opportunity presented itself, Nicole joined the company and hasn’t looked back. She’s been with Geneva Rock since 2012, the last eight years employed as a dump truck driver.
“I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t started working at Geneva Rock,” Nicole said. “I always loved traveling with my dad growing up. I was able to see firsthand everything that went into his work. I realized that this was something I wanted to try, and I ended up liking it. I just followed in his footsteps.”
Nicole relishes the relationship that she’s had with her father and the opportunity she has to see him more often than she would while employed at any other job.
“I’m lucky that he’s my really good friend,” Nicole said. “When I first started driving, he was also a driver. We’d get to go to some of the same jobs sometimes, and that would be fun. Now that he’s in a different department as a truck foreman, I don’t get to see him quite as often. However, whenever I need something or am worried that my truck isn’t safe or something, he’ll always help me.”
Working at Geneva Rock has given both Gary and Nicole experiences that they otherwise might not have had.
“For me, I can’t beat this job,” Gary said. “I just enjoy the work. I really enjoy the hands-on type of work this company provides. One of the first jobs I ever had was in construction—building houses. I just sort of stuck in the industry after that. Although, I like driving trucks better than most things. It’s nice to head out to different places and see different things.”
“I make good money here having never gone to college,” Nicole said. “I know a lot of people that have gone to college and have tons of debt. It’s really nice for someone that didn’t like school to be given an opportunity to succeed. The pension is also really good here, so it’s going to give me a little bit of money after I’m 65. Management is pretty understanding if you need time off or are sick. They treat us really well. They listen to you and make you feel like you’re not just a number.”
Gary passed along a positive work ethic in his daughter—something that has helped them both excel in the industry.
“I always try to have a good attitude and show everyone that I’m capable of doing great work,” Nicole said. “I’m pretty happy where I’m at. I’m grateful to be hired here. I really like my job.”
