After 25 years in the construction industry, George is currently the General Lather Foreman on what is perhaps the most high profile construction project in New York City. That project is Tower #1 of The World Trade Center, or what is more commonly known as “The Freedom Tower.”
Following his three year Apprenticeship and attaining Journeyman status, George, a third generation Local 46 member, saw to it that he learned every conceivable aspect of his trade. After cutting his teeth on some very intricate post-tensioning jobs in Westchester County, George worked on highway and heavy construction projects, foundations and of course, the famed two-day cycle high rise projects for which New York City is famous. Throughout that time, George rose steadily through the ranks, working for a variety of contractors, serving as a layout and lead man, then Deputy Foreman and for the last five years, General Foreman.
No stranger to large scale endeavors, his last position was that of General Foreman on the Bank of America building at Bryant Park, which was a structural steel building with a reinforced concrete core. The core work at Bank of America was useful experience for his current assignment of erecting two central cores, each containing 230 tons of reinforcing steel per floor. In addition, there are 24, 30 and 44 inch thick slabs that contain anywhere from 400 to 600 tons per section.
“The most challenging aspect of all this,” stated George, “can be the obstacles inherent in materials management. It can get difficult with a job of this scope and five separate elevations. But, we work together, and get it done.”
On a personal level, the challenge is also being away from home as much as he is. That challenge, he readily admits, he could never meet, were it not for the constant support of his wife of eighteen years, who remains as busy as George with their 5 children who range in age from 6 through 15.
Besides being a tradesman and a family man, George enjoys the teaching aspect of his work. “This is an opportunity to show the young guys coming up what productivity is all about,” says George. But sometimes, it gets more personal than that for him. “It’s also about the comaraderie, and how we help each other out. We all get tired sometimes, but we keep each other going. I really enjoy teaching the new apprentices how to do that for each other.”
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