When Jose Lopez of Elite Finishing in Milwaukee first got his wife, Maria, a job at the same facility almost 33 years ago, he was the luckiest man in the place.
Jose and Maria Lopez have worked at Reliable Plating/Elite Metal Finishing for over 30 years.“Maria would always bring us both lunches, and it would all be laid out ready for me in the lunchroom,” says Lopez, now the Elite plant manager who has been with the company for more than 44 years.
But things are a little different these days for both Jose and Maria, says Jaime Maliszewski, president of Reliable Plating, which also owns Elite. While Maria works at Reliable, a few miles away from Jose at Elite, he still brings her fresh coffee every day to start her day.
“Jose has wised up some over the years, and now he takes care of Maria with her coffee each morning,” Maliszewski says. “The guy ate like a king at lunch for a long time, and now he is just returning the favor.”
Jose’s 44 Years and Maria’s 33 Years
Maliszewski says having an employee like Jose at the same company for 44 years is incredible and lucky. But to have their spouse also work 33 years for the same company is unusual, indeed.
“We have been so blessed to have them both with us,” he says. “Even greater is that both their daughters came to work for us for a few years. We saw them as babies, and then they came here, and now they are off on their own careers. It’s a full circle.”
Maria says it was Jose who hired her in 1989, just five years after they married. Reliable was in need of workers in the inspection department, and that’s when he convinced Maria to join him. Maria is now the lead inspector at Reliable.
“Jose came home one day and told me they needed to hire a lady in inspections,” Maria says. “Then it turned out to be me.”
Started as a Racker and Became Plant Manager
Jose started in 1978 and started as a part racker working under Reliable legend “Little John” Przybylinski, who eventually worked at Reliable for 50 years before retiring in 2014. Jose worked his way to running the nickel line, which he oversaw for more than 10 years before approaching Little John with a request.
“I wanted to have more responsibility,” Jose recalls. “I asked Little John what else I could do for the company, and he promoted me to be a supervisor.”
From there, Jose took on even more responsibility and was eventually asked to be the plant manager for nearby Elite Finishing. Maria has stayed at the Reliable plant, where at various times, their two daughters, Dulce and Lupita, both worked.
Maliszewski says at one point, Maria was working directly for Jose, but he never saw an issue with the arrangement. That was a different story when Dulce and Lupita worked there, however.
“It’s hard for a dad to yell at his daughters,” Maliszewski says with a laugh. “But truly, Jose and Maria have been so great for us, and their daughters have that same great work ethic, too. It was a treat having them all here.”
Married in 1985
Jose and Maria met in 1985 when Maria was working at a produce company directly across the street from the Reliable Plating Works plant. She was working the overnight shift, and he would see her take the garbage out at 2:00 a.m. each morning. Jose would wait outside to walk her home.
“At first, she didn’t care too much for me,” Jose says. “But I kept walking her home. Finally, after a few months, I asked her if she would be my girlfriend. She kept saying no at first, but finally, she said yes. Thankfully.”
Maliszewski says Jose is the longest-serving non-family member as far as years are concerned. Tom “Tucker” Gulland, the plant manager at Reliable, has been there for over 40 years; in fact, Maliszewski says the company has seven employees who have been there for over 35 years and many more with 20 or more years of experience.
“My dad always taught my brothers and me to treat our employees like family,” Maliszewski says. “And that’s what we have done, and it has been so very beneficial for us.”
Taking Pride in Workmanship
Jose takes great pride in the Elite shop, Maliszewski says, and runs it like he is the actual owner. That makes the Reliable and Elite owners chuckle at how concerned Jose is about how well the facility is run.
“We joke that Jose runs this place like it is Lopez’s Plating,” Maliszewski says. “But that just goes to show what kind of guy he is, and it is the same way with Maria. They are just quality people that we have been so lucky to have them working with us.”
Both of the Lopez say they have remained at Reliable and Elite for so long because they are made to feel important, and they are treated with respect. Maliszewski says the company has never laid off an employee for lack of work.
“The Maliszewski’s have been very good to my family and me,” says Jose, who was a respected soccer player in Milwaukee and was even voted into the city’s soccer hall of fame. “We enjoy what we do, and we like the people we work with. It has been wonderful for Maria and me.”
Visit https://rpwinc.net and https://elitefinishing.net
Watch the Video:
Reliable Plating's Jose Lopez has worked at the company for more than 40 years. To honor his longevity and show appreciation, the company surprised him with a 40th anniversary party, which included flying Jose's parents up from Mexico to Milwaukee. Jose had not seen his parents in many years, and he was surprised when he walked into the door of his party.
