MANITOWOC, Wis. — Pouring just the right amount of concrete is one part of Zachary Odegard’s job with Milis Flatwork.
His job title is finisher, but that’s not all he does.
“Today we’re pouring wall panels for a new warehouse and I was running the tip of the hose which is the machine that gets the concrete from the mixer truck that’s delivered and they we put in the specified location within in the forms,” he said.
It takes a little know how to do the job efficiently.
“You need someone with some experience to lay down the mud so it’s not too high, not too low, so you have to come back,” he said.
Milis Flatwork specializes in commercial and industrial work. Their concrete and workmanship can be found in everything from warehouses to parking ramps and commercial buildings.
Dylan Milis, the company’s founder and CEO, said the company works around Wisconsin and adjacent states.
He frequently sees the finished work.
“These projects are going to be here for the rest of my life, the rest of our lives,” he said. “You always hear about trades dads, ‘I did that, and I built that house.’ We drive past all these jobs and I get to do the same thing with my kids. You know, ‘Dad built that.’”
Milis is seeking to add between 10 and 30 people in jobs ranging from laborers to pump operators and finishers.
He said the company takes on new workers of all experience levels.
“Skilled guys who have 25 years of experience to guys who it’s their first day working, 18-year-olds right out of high school,” Milis said. “We have a training program here that we do to bring people in who don’t know anything and teach them so they can be lifelong tradesmen.”
Odegard said he likes the variety of the job as well the permanence of the finished project.
But even that has to start somewhere.
“When you’re on the starting end and you see a big daunting task, it’s okay. We’re never scared of a big task,” he said. “We always come together, get a plan and get it done, and the pieces start coming together and you’re like, ‘okay.’”
A list of open careers at Milis Flatwork can be found at https://milisflatwork.com/apply/.