November 5, 2019
Here at Paraco, we are extremely grateful for, and proud of the many dedicated people employed in our ever-growing family. This quarter’s Paraco Pulse spotlights one of the Waterbury, CT facility’s exceptional employees, Angel Pagan. Angel has worked his way up the ladder over the past 15 years, most recently deeply involved in the construction of the Waterbury facility and throughout all the varied constituents which make it today’s operational success.
Will Fabrizio, Director of Production and Northeast Service and Angel’s direct report says this of Angel:
“Angel has worked at Paraco for many years now in a variety of roles. He started as a yard worker at our Stratford, CT facility filling bbq cylinders. He was promoted to Bulk Delivery Driver, then to Service Apprentice. Angel then became a licensed Service Tech, and with the move to Waterbury, CT was promoted to Production Supervisor. This August, he was again promoted to Production Manager, tasked with running every aspect of the manufacturing/refurbishing platform at the Waterbury facility.
Throughout his tenure at Paraco, Angel has proven time and time again his dedication and commitment to doing the best job at whatever his current position requires of him. He never gives up on a task no matter what challenges may arise. During his time as a service tech he would always take the lead on the most difficult jobs, and was an amazing resource and trainer for the new technicians coming through.
He was our first choice when we needed a Supervisor for the new production platform in Waterbury, and worked with me nonstop during the construction leading a team to both prepare the building/land for the move in; coordinating with subcontractors, helping to organize the installation of the bulk storage, and installation of the refurbishing equipment. His technical expertise has carried over extremely well to his new challenge and he is a key resource when it comes to the repair and upkeep of the refurbishing machinery.
He has approached his leadership roles with the same dedication that he does everything else and was able to hire, train, and organize a completely new staff in short order. His mentorship and leadership styles have always been and always will be to lead from the front, and he has no qualms about jumping in when needed to get the job done. Even as Waterbury has evolved rapidly over the past 2 years, he has done an amazing job at the employee level: implementing safety standards, organizing employee events, being an advocate for the wellness initiatives at the plant, and hiring/training/coaching some of the extremely talented individuals he now has working for him.
I can confidently say that without Angel, the Waterbury project would not have been nearly as successful. I look forward to seeing the great things he will accomplish with his new role and I know he will approach it with the same dedication and professionalism that he has shown his whole career here.”
Angel expressed the following about his job and working at Paraco:
“What I like most about my job are the relationships. Depending on the season, we can have over 26 employees working under one roof, as one unit. I can say that I know at least one thing about every employee’s personal life. I believe having that comfort level helps to create comradery. Everyone works harder when they know they are part of the TEAM. This is especially important on a production line.
As for what I like most about working for Paraco, it’s that this really is a company of opportunity, dedicated to promoting from within. I myself started almost 15 years ago as a part time yard/dock employee. With the help of past managers, I obtained my CDL and began driving mostly Bobtail, but also boom and bbq trucks. I then became a service tech where I spent most of my tenure until the Waterbury facility became a reality, and I was asked to be the Plant Supervisor before moving into my current role as Production Manager. I am thankful for the opportunity given to me by Will Fabrizio, and to the trust Arthur Ravo put in him to choose his own team.”
We cannot take employee excellence for granted. Exceptional workers such as Angel demonstrate a combination of skills and traits, combining aspiration, ethical and moral personal principles, talents, and resolve to reach an exemplary level of proficiency and performance. Angel personifies such employee excellence, exhibiting determination, integrity, loyalty and dedication; along with recognized mentorship and leadership achievements.