Like the pull of the Death Star tractor beam, Hermanson Plumbing Foreman Noel Burbridge has felt the tug of a career in plumbing all his life. Both Noel’s father and uncle were plumbers and he spent summers helping on jobsites.
Noel enjoys being a part of a construction team and says it would be difficult to think about doing anything other than construction. He particularly likes working for a full mechanical contractor like Hermanson where every craft worker is contributing to the success of a project.
After 20 years in the industry, as a Foreman Noel finds himself answering more questions than he is asking and takes pride in passing his expertise on to the next generation of building trade workers. Noel has worked on both SPD and Major Projects and is currently working at the Climate Pledge Arena.
Noel recalls a few project highlights including building an outdoor BBQ on the 35th floor for Assurance. The same project added a hidden speakeasy behind a bookcase where the lighting fixtures were clouds with bulbs fashioned like lightning bolts. At T-Mobile Field, the Hermanson team installed a baseball storage humidor located next to the Mariners locker room. Players would walk by each day and interact with workers.
The King County COVID Quarantine site was a highlight for Noel. ”We had a scope that was ever changing, pushed by a crisis and every level of support at Hermanson was utilized to make the project a success,” recalls Noel, “That project was truly all-hands on deck and we exceeded the client’s expectations.”
Noel offers several pieces of advice to upcoming craft workers: Ask for help early and often. In today’s world, you need to utilize technology. Work closely with the team around you. And of course, safety is paramount.
On a personal note, Noel and his wife have been married between 3 to 5 years (their 10 year courtship ended in a courthouse ceremony after work one day and the details are still a bit fuzzy). Their family consists of two horses (Regulus a grey Oldenburg and Gus, a crazy thoroughbred) and a cat named Mazy Russel. Noel is a Washington native who loves horses, golf, the mountains, and sunshine (not necessarily in that order).
We are glad that Noel Burbridge is part of the Hermanson family because at Hermanson we believe Family Matters.
Noel on a job site