WELDER STRIKES GOLD

Reprinted from Winter 1997.

In 1983, John D. Simmons of Nevada graduated from high school and decided to attend college. After a year, he chose not to return and spent the next two years working at a local mine operating heavy equipment and making good money but not completely satisfied. He began researching various technical schools and finally selected Hobart.

"I even made a trip east to visit the school and was very impressed with the operation and the way the staff treated me," said John.

Coming to Ohio was another matter. John was accustomed to seeing the mountain skyline and it took some time for him to adjust to the surroundings of the rolling farmlands of Ohio.

"I did get a great education, though," commented John.

After completing training at the Hobart Institute, John returned to Nevada and told his dad that he could weld anything "from a broken heart to the crack of dawn!"

In January 1987, John was working in construction, but by May of that year, he was employed by Goldfields Mining Company, the original operator at the Twin Creeks Mine. That mine is currently owned by Newmont Gold Company. John has been at the mine for ten years and there have been three owners. He is presently working in the mine maintenance department where sixteen welders are employed. His primary duties are machinist/welder and he operates mobile line boring equipment at the open pit gold mine. His department also performs equipment repair and fabrication using shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, and flux cored arc welding, plasma cutting, and air carbon arc gouging on manganese steel, mild steel, stainless steel, and wear iron. Welders in the mining industry earn from $14.50 to $20.50 per hour.

John was always athletic, competing in high school wrestling and rodeos (rough stock - bulls and bareback). He now competes in mine rescue competitions. He is the captain on his mine rescue team and is a member of the Winnemucca Volunteer Fire Department. John and his wife Marla have been married for nearly seven years and have a son, Lane. Lane is his Dad's shadow, wanting to do anything that his Dad is doing.

"I think we may have another Hobart student around the year 2010!" commented Lane's grandfather, Jack Simmons, Metallurgical Services Superintendent of Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Inc.