JANUARY SPOTLIGHT
Warren Trump, Millwright Foreman

If you’ve been around JR Merit for any length of time, chances are you’ve had a chance to meet Warren Trump.

At 22 years and counting, Warren is JR Merit’s longest-standing employee (next to President Mark Radich). He is a native to the Pacific Northwest, born in Portland, OR. He’s always been a handyman, able to fix most anything that comes his way. This knack for craftsmanship prompted a friend of his to suggest that he join a union.

He became a millwright in 1995 and hasn’t looked back. Prior to JR Merit, he did pretty much every kind of trade you can think of, except electrical—he prefers to stay away from high voltage. He’s found his union career home with JR Merit.

When asked what has kept him here for so long, he quickly answered that he loves the variety of jobs that our company gets to do. Although he enjoys getting to do new things every day, he acknowledges there are sometimes dangerous aspects of the complex work we perform. As a field leader, his main focus is making sure he and his teammates get home safely every day.

Asked about his biggest achievements, Warren shared that he is 25 years sober after battling addiction for 15 years. Wow! He said his faith and family are key motivators for him; with five children (four adopted, one biological) and nine grandchildren between 5-17 years old, that’s a lot of motivation!

Self-described as loyal, honest, trustworthy, and motivated, Warren spends his free time tinkering on his five-acre property and creating amazing sculptures from animal bones he finds around his acreage! He’s also a lover of sugar-free green apple Jolly Ranchers, Mexican food, coffee, and fast-pitch softball.