O’Shea's 'Iron Man' Hangs Up His Suit
O’Shea’s “Iron Man,” a.k.a. Tim VanBrooker, is “officially” retired. O’Shea Team News sat down with Tim and Mike O’Shea to talk about a few career highlights.
When did you start working at O’Shea?
Tim: I started working at O’Shea in 1999, but I previously worked for the Ironworkers.
Can you describe what O’Shea’s ironworker division was like “back in the day?”
Tim: When I first joined O’Shea, I’d say the ironworker division was in transition because we really were just starting out and trying to make this a successful and profitable self-performing department.
Mike: I agree with Tim’s observations because prior to 1997, O’Shea subcontracted our steel erection. A longtime steel erection partner declared bankruptcy in the early 1990’s following a string of bad jobs.
The other subcontractors pursuing this work did not make a good cultural fit for O’Shea, so in 1997 we started to erect our own steel. This led us to hire ironworker superintendent Leonard Cotton. When he decided to retire, the ironworkers’ business agent Mike Whalen connected us with Tim.
Tim: And the rest is history ...
Can you tell us a little about your job history at O’Shea?
Tim: Well, my first job was doing the steel erection for the new ER entry at Memorial Medical Center, and my last job will be coordinating steel erection and pre-cast concrete at the YMCA project on 4th and Carpenter in Springfield. But my favorite job was setting the bridges at the Scovill Zoo in Decatur. This was the first time in O’Shea history that we’ve ever set steel for a train bridge, and it was exciting to be a part of it.
Mike: Speaking of history, I’d just like to reiterate how much Tim impacted our ironwork. I recall when Tim came to work for us in the winter of 1999, he’d left a good job at a place he had worked for a number of years. At the time, we had about a month of ironwork lined up, I remember thinking ... “I really hope this works out.” Good ironworkers followed Tim to O’Shea, and the work was quickly profitable. The company grew rapidly and our ironworking crews grew with it. As I look back, it is hard to believe how we went from sub-contracting our pre-cast concrete and steel erection to one of the largest erectors in downstate Illinois. Good people follow good people, and Tim drew a lot of good ironworking talent to O’Shea.
With your retirement, what will you miss most about O’Shea and what will you be doing in your free time?
Tim: O’Shea has been the BEST company I’ve worked for, and because of that, I’ll miss the people here. On every single job, I’ve learned so much from everyone, so I’ll definitely miss the camaraderie. Now that I’m retired, I plan to camp, fish, hunt, and finish some projects.
Mike: Now since Tim has shared what he will miss about O’Shea, I would like to share a few final thoughts on what I will miss. First, Tim is one of the finest tradespersons I have ever had the pleasure to work with; he knows and excels at all facets of the ironworking trade. He has produced profitable work for us installing rebar, erecting pre-cast concrete and steel and installing ornamental metal. Few people are as established in their craft as Tim.
While I will certainly miss witnessing the joy he takes in his work, I will miss the person even more. Tim always has a smile on his face, brings his very best every day, lives out our core values, and does it all with a spirit of humility. I feel honored to have worked alongside him for so many good years!