Rick Almeida

Rick Almeida is the Lead Hand at GK Interior Solutions Inc., a cabinet company in Guelph, Ontario.

Rick has been a carpenter for his whole career. He took the Architectural Technologist program at George Brown College and has extensive personal experience from hands-on work in his father’s shop and in his own company – this is really what formed his experience and skills, getting him to where he is now.

Prior to working with GK, Rick owned and operated his own business. When the time came to close the company, he was looking for a position with security and potential; that is when he found GK Interior.

Rick started off working as an assembler and installer for GK, then he moved into maintenance, then into the Lead Hand position. He is still doing assembly and installation, but he is now also responsible for the delegation of others’ duties.

There are a lot of things Rick likes about his job, but one of the best parts is seeing a project through to completion. When the Project Manager has come up with the plans for a set of cabinets, it can seem as though they are just a bunch of lines on a piece of paper, but Rick sees the project from beginning to end and he enjoys trying to make the job more efficient by taking on some of the delegation and quality controls to cut down on time.

There are many skills that are important to being a successful Lead Hand. Rick is a great multi-tasker - he always has about 6-7 things on the go. He also has to be able to troubleshoot problems and come up with solutions quickly because time is money. Another key skill is communication which is required to convey changes in a way that others can understand. On top of this all, a Lead Hand needs to be a great team player.

Rick’s idea of the type of individual that would do well in the advanced wood processing industry is someone that has an interest in wood products and likes building things. He says it has to be a person who is always taking on new challenges and learning new skills – they have to be on top of everything and willing to learn.

Rick’s advice for those thinking of a career in wood is to think big and look further into the future. Two years ago he was an assembler/installer, but he has progressed further in a short period of time. Rick says, “if you think that you can do it, work toward it and you can accomplish it. It takes time to develop skills. When you are new to the industry you don’t know everything – it takes time and practice to learn.”