At Ceco, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer people opportunities to learn, grow and embark on a rewarding career in construction. But personal success is just as important as professional success. Andrew Brewer is a living example of how our employees support and benefit from each other—both personally and professionally.

A few years ago, Andrew had hit a low point in his life and was homeless. By chance, he shared a bus ride with Ceco Journeyperson Roxanne Stoffel on her commute home from the HUB IV JIB jobsite in Tucson, Ariz. Andrew saw her construction vest and hard hat and asked where she worked. He then shared his story with Roxanne, and it resonated with her. She, herself, had experienced her fair share of disappointments before a friend suggested she apply for a job with Ceco. In just three short years, working for Ceco had changed her life. Paying it forward, Roxanne encouraged Andrew to start repairing his own life by doing the same.

From left: Ceco employees Roxanne Stoffel and Andrew Brewer at the HUB IV JIB jobsite in Tucson, Ariz.

A few days after their shared bus ride, Andrew visited the HUB IV jobsite looking for work. Following Roxanne’s advice, Andrew was honest about his current situation and what led him there, and he asked for an opportunity. Thanks to Roxanne’s recommendation, Andrew was hired. The Ceco site team helped outfit him with the tools and clothing required to start his new job the following morning. They reached out to ARIZONA@WORK, a nearby workforce development resource, to get him everything he needed. The swift job opportunity helped set Andrew on a path to becoming a different man.

Andrew has come a long way since the day he first started working for Ceco. He now has a place to call home and a car, and he has rebuilt relationships with his family. Better yet, he now has a family of his own, with a baby on the way.

In Andrew, Ceco has gained a dedicated and hardworking employee. He is currently still working at the HUB IV project.

We are proud of both Andrew and Roxanne, not only for their contributions on the job, but also for the way Andrew turned his life around and for Roxanne’s readiness to make a difference in somebody’s life during a brief encounter on a bus. We look forward to seeing where life takes each of them as their careers continue to grow with Ceco.