Facilities Maintenance Worker Charles Becton joined GUC in September 2005 as a Custodian in what was then Buildings and Grounds and today is the Facilities group under the Finance Department.
Keeping our facilities safe and in top shape is a huge job that requires a lot of responsibilities many of us don’t often think about. The Facilities team is responsible for all the maintenance and repair of the buildings and surrounding grounds at the Operations Center, Main Office, GUC Express, and Red Banks. These locations include 15 facilities that keep operations running and a total of 250,000 square feet. The group uses a tractor, two ATVs, and a scissor lift to assist them with heavy work.
Charles’ duties included setting up for meetings, keeping parking lots and grounds cleaned, recycling batteries, changing out Facilities’ fire extinguishers, moving items and furniture, ordering and stocking break room supplies and beverages, and much more. You may also have seen Charles doing various maintenance tasks such as painting and testing or maintaining exit lights.
Storm support is another big responsibility of Facilities. “We are usually the first ones here if there is snow or ice on the ground or damage after a storm,” he said.
From storm preparations all the way to recovery, Facilities’ main goal with storm support is to provide a safe working environment for employees and customers. Most recently during the January and February winter storms, Facilities staff prepared for (and later cleared) snow and ice on sidewalks and parking lots so that employees and customers could safely return to business.
Helping others is what Charles says he will miss the most in retirement. “I just like being able to help employees.”
Originally from Bath, North Carolina, Charles lives in Greenville with his wife, Evelyn. A fun fact about Charles is that his first job out of high school was to help build Back Creek Drive Bridge that runs from Bath to Bayview. “That was something else,” he said.
In retirement, he plans to spend more time with family. “I’ll still do some paint jobs in my spare time, too.”
Charles, we wish you the very best of luck in retirement!
