Working on the Port Access Road – Meet Adrian Mack, Utility Laborer
Omar Muhammad, the President of Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) is determined to connect local residents with job opportunities in the LAMC neighborhoods. When Muhammad shared information about a pre-employment program for the Port Access Road project, Germaine Jenkins, the CEO, Farm & Market Director of Fresh Future Farm in the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood, immediately thought of her son, Adrian Mack.
Mack, a resident of the Dorchester-Waylyn neighborhood, has been mechanically inclined since he was a toddler. “He enjoys deconstructing old machines just to understand how they work,” his mother explains when asked how she knew the Port Access Road construction project would be a good fit for her son.
After finishing his senior year as a homeschooler and working at Fresh Future Farm for two years, Mack wanted to find a well-paying career, close to home that did not require jumping into college. The multi-year, interchange construction project matches Mack’s interests. New state and local funding for transportation infrastructure improvements offers a long-term career path.
Adrian Mack
Scheduled to be finished prior to the opening of the SC Ports Authority’s new Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. terminal in North Charleston, the Port Access Road will connect I-26 with two inbound and two outbound port-related traffic lanes. The new fully directional interchange will also serve local and commercial vehicles with a Bainbridge Avenue connector road, an extension of Stromboli Avenue, associated improvements to local streets, and improved I-26/Meeting Street access ramps.
The Fluor-Lane SC construction team for the Port Access Road project welcomed Mack onto their team after he completed two weeks of pre-employment training in early June 2017.
As a utility laborer, Mack works across the project helping as needed. One of his favorite experiences has been providing support for the assembly of the large cranes. “I enjoyed seeing how the parts fit together and knowing my efforts helped to get the job done,” Mack describes what he likes about his job.
While Mack’s strength is an asset for some of the physical work needed on a construction site, his supervisor really appreciates Mack’s hard work ethic and ability to think ahead. Co-workers and friends appreciate his intelligence and sense of humor.
When he is not working on the Port Access Road, Mack stays busy playing video games, going to movies and relaxing with friends and family. Income from his work is enabling him to help with family bills, buy new clothes, and still have money to save for a future move into his own apartment or a car.
Mack’s advice to anyone interested in working on the Port Access Road project is to recognize “this is not a job that you can just slack off and be lazy you got to know how to watch your surroundings and be safe.” Adrian takes pride in the fact that his older peers trust him enough to teach him new skills that can help him earn higher wages in the future.
Hiring for the Port Access Road continues to ramp up into 2018 so now is a great time to apply or to prepare for applying after graduating from high school. For more information about job opportunities with the Port Access Road, please contact Omar Muhammad with LAMC via phone 843-693-3911 and email [email protected] or contact Dorian Kierce at Fluor-Lane SC via phone 843-460-9611, email [email protected], or in person at 2060 Sewannee Road in North Charleston. The latest job opportunities can also be found and applications can be submitted on-line through www.fluor.com/careers/craft.
