Meet Matt Palmer, JP Cullen’s Ironworker Foreman!
What is your current title and when did you start at JP Cullen?
Ironworker Foreman 3 – I started as a journeyman at JP Cullen in August 2008.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
What I like most about my job is my coworkers. We connect with nicknames and stories about past struggles and triumphs – it’s how we’ve connected for decades. We have a “get it done and get out of our way” attitude that I don’t see in other trades. It makes me proud to be an ironworker.
What sparked your interest in the construction industry?
I’ve always liked to build and fix things since I was a young lad growing up on our dairy farm. The farm taught me hard work, how to problem solve, and get things done – even if I didn’t have exactly what was needed. The construction industry pays much better than farming, so I decided to go that route.
Who has been most motivational to you in your career?
My wife, Keri, of 21 years, and my three kids, Garret, Lucas, and Makenna, have motivated me the most in my career. Providing for them has always been a priority.
What is your proudest achievement?
One work related achievement that I take pride in took place in 2009 at Epic when I was connecting. The 4-man raising gang, Duane Schrafeunagle, Matt Roberts, Mike Muntean, and myself, erected 103 beams in 8 hrs. That’s not a typical day in my experience.
What are your top three highlights of your life?
The top 3 highlights of my life include the birth of my 3 kids. For me, there’s nothing better than being a dad.
What is your favorite memory?
I can’t pinpoint a favorite memory but looking back on growing up on the farm when my grandpa, dad, and uncles would carry on with all the chaos that farming entails, I’m thankful that I was in the middle of it all and got to experience it. My dad continues to farm, and now I get to watch my own children be part of it and gain the same skills and experience that I did. They’re already quite the equipment operators, welders, mechanics, and conservationists of the land.
What is something that no one knows about you?
We all have things that no one knows about us. The reason they don’t know is because we don’t tell. I’m going to keep it that way!
Interested in joining the crew? Check out our job openings here!
