Pavers & Masonry
When Alex Cloninger got out of the Navy working as an operator in the Seabees, he had dreams of finishing a college degree in construction management. However, life had other plans for him.
“My wife became pregnant along the way, so I didn’t have a chance to complete my education,” Alex said. “At that point, I focused on work to help our family, which was the right decision.”
Alex’s father was a superintendent at Guho Corp, and had been in the industry his entire life, so he turned to Guho for his first construction gig. It was there when he had his earliest encounter with Sunroc.
“We would use Sunroc for a lot of our road prep,” Alex said. “I was always really impressed with the work they did. I eventually wanted to find out more about the company.”
Alex was drawn to Sunroc’s variety of work and their benefits, which would prove invaluable as he started his family.
He’s now been working as an equipment operator for a little over a year and a half. Alex’s day-to-day work involves a lot of preparation and setting up of equipment.
“Typically, we’ll get in and set up our GPS in place, get benched in, make sure our numbers are all shooting well, and get all of the inspections done on our equipment,” Alex said. “The rest of our tasks really vary depending on the job and the phase.”
Alex’s experienced skillset and positive attitude haven’t gone unnoticed among those in the company.
“Alex is a team player who always puts the needs of the project ahead of his own,” said Cody Cronquist, construction supervisor at Sunroc. “He’s reliable, hardworking, and a pleasure to have on the job site. He’s always up for the task, wanting more responsibilities. He’s eager to learn and is always wanting to take that next step to further his career.”
And Alex plans to advance in his career with opportunities available at Sunroc. In the meantime, he’s enjoying his current position and loves the variety it offers.
“Every job’s something new; it’s always a new challenge,” Alex said. “One day you could be performing residential work, and the next, commercial. I really enjoy working for the company. They treat their employees well, and they take care of us. Everyone’s always willing to lend a hand and teach you something new.”
Looking to the future, Alex hopes to continue growing his skills as an equipment operator while “Building Confidence” with Sunroc’s customers.
“I just want to keep becoming a better operator every day while learning new techniques,” Alex said. “I want to keep bettering myself. It’s so fun to see the changes that sites go through from start to finish everywhere we work. I love being part of it all.”
And with Sunroc as his workplace, he knows he’s in good hands to help the company fulfill its mission of Building a Better Community.
