From sheet metal apprentice to BIM director of a reputable mechanical contractor, Don DeGuzman’s sheet metal career reflects the various paths of the skilled trades and challenges.
It all started when I took my pre-apprentice test in 1999 to get into the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104 Union. As a young 21-year-old with a newborn daughter, I needed a steady paying job to provide for my family.
My father, who was a lead engineer at ACCO Engineered Systems since I was 5 years old, encouraged me to join the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union and to become a sheet metal worker. Little did I know, it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life.