On a typical day, Production Superintendent David Hargraves tracks 20 or more active fabrication jobs, coordinating freight from the Haskell Steel campus in Jacksonville, Florida, to job sites across North America and managing production across three shops: structural, paint and miscellaneous. Three foremen report to him, roughly 50 workers operate under their direction, and every truck that leaves the facility goes out on his watch.

Hargraves’ path to leadership didn’t start in a steel shop, but with a high school carpentry class and a coin flip.

Growing up on a farm in Keystone Heights, Florida, hard work was part of the routine. Despite his parents’ warning against pursuing a career in construction, Hargraves took a four-year carpentry program in high school, where he was introduced to the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) and, by extension, Haskell.

“I was just going through the motions,” he said. “I was a senior when we were told about an award for carpentry. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was still figuring things out, considering the Air Force.”

The Golden Hammer Award is given annually to a student in each Clay County high school who demonstrates exceptional skill in the carpentry program. Tim Mosley, Haskell’s Director of Self-Performance, has run the program since 2005, expanding it from a single carpentry program at Orange Park High School, where the award originated in the 1970s, to six high schools across Northeast Florida. It now covers six trades: carpentry, welding, HVAC, electrical, drafting and engineering. Between 100 and 125 students are recognized each year.

“The award is an opportunity,” Mosley said. “Instructors choose the student they believe will succeed in the trades as a professional. The recognition means a lot to the students, and we take it very seriously. If you’ve received that award, we take notice.”

It came down to Hargraves and his best friend, Drew Veek. When a proposed nail-hammering contest went nowhere, they flipped a coin. Hargraves won, sat for an interview with Mosley and then-Vice President Boyd Worsham, and was offered a position in the steel shop.

“When I started, I was just a helping hand, as green as can be,” Hargraves said. “Fifteen years ago, there was a lot more manual labor: hand measuring, hand cutting, torching with an oxy-fuel torch. I learned to run the forklift, lay out angles and plates and punch holes. Next thing I know, I was learning to weld.”

He earned his welding certification within two years, then moved through fabrication, quality control, lead man and foreman, staying on through the industry’s lean years in the early 2010s when Haskell split his schedule between the steel shop and a project services delivery role to keep him on payroll.

Hargraves’ predecessor, Butch Rowe, managed production at Haskell Steel for four decades before retiring in 2025. His mentorship of Hargraves, though challenging, proved foundational.

“Butch trusted David with a lot of responsibilities,” said Touan Plante, Vice President of Haskell Steel Operations. “When Butch retired, there was no transition period. David was already doing everything because he had been groomed for that role for years. There’s a lot to keep track of, and it takes a lot of technical knowledge to speak intelligently about the operation. David brought that from his early experience on the shop floor, and when his responsibilities expanded, he made it look easy. Though I’m sure it didn’t feel that way.”

Plante started with Haskell three months before Hargraves in 2011. His first impression of Hargraves came during the Norwegian Cruise Line terminal project at the Port of Miami, the largest contract Haskell Steel had taken on at the time in both tonnage and total value.

“I ended up on the shop floor pretty often, trying to figure out those complicated pieces with him,” Plante said. “The geometry was very involved: compound bevels, various angles, and David was working it all out with chalk and a carpenter’s square. I thought, if David can build all these things with the tools he has, no 3D model, no computer, that kid is going to go far.”

The two now collaborate on decisions well beyond daily operations, including evaluating potential acquisitions.

“Hargraves came to Haskell through a program built on the premise that the trades need a direct line into high schools,” Mosley said. “I’ve watched a number of Golden Hammer recipients move through the apprenticeship program and into careers at Haskell. Three graduated from it this year.

“The trades are a critical workforce. David’s experience and how he rose to leadership is what the program is all about.”

Another responsibility for Hargraves is interviewing potential hires.

“When I interview entry-level candidates, I’m always reminded of where I came from,” he said. “From that carpentry program in high school, to becoming a general helper, working my way through the ranks and getting my degree. Haskell was there for it all and paid for my training and school.”

“Eventually, someone will take my place. It’s hard work, and it took a lot of time and support to arrive here. I’m very proud of my team and all the amazing work that we do every day, and seeing Haskell’s continued partnership with NEFBA and supporting those programs for young talent gives me hope for the future of our workforce.”

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