When Fred Rose was a metal shop student at the Bedford County Technical Center he learned to weld, cut, punch and bend metal for small projects. Today he supervises the welding, cutting, punching and bending of metal for somewhat larger projects - highway bridge decks. Fred is acting general foreman for L.B. Foster, one of the country's largest producers of bridge decking. He's only been the production manager for three months - but had been a foreman for 11 of his 23 years at Foster. "I started here as a general laborer and over the years ran a punch press, worked with shears, saws and welded. Name just about any job in the production process and I've done it," he says.

As the general foreman for the aluminum processing section of the plant Fred oversees two foremen and production crews, including handling job assignments and scheduling personnel. He's given deadlines and projects from the plant manager and it's his job to make sure his crews meet those deadlines. "It's fast-paced with something different every day that keeps the work exciting," Fred says. Most important to his job are good people skills, he believes. "You've got to get along well with people and must be able to control your emotions. You can't be short-tempered." As part of his move into management Fred has taken several management training courses through the company and recently completed training to be a welding inspector. He plans to take computer classes in the future through the company's tuition reimbursement program. "When I was on the floor I knew there was room for advancement here and that if I worked hard I had a chance to move up," he says. "Management means long hours and certainly can be demanding, but the rewards make it worthwhile."

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