For Ramon Pena, service started with family. Growing up in Weslaco, Texas, Ramon became the first in his family to join the military, driven by a simple but powerful motivation: helping provide for his mother and building a better future. That sense of responsibility led him to enlist in the United States Navy, where he would spend four years serving his country and discovering a broader perspective on the world around him.
Ramon completed basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois, and went on to serve as an MC3 Mass Communications Specialist. During his time in the Navy, he completed a Westpac deployment from 2003 to 2004, an experience that left a lasting impact far beyond the job itself. “I traveled the world and that experience brings with it learning,” Ramon says. “Learning to interact with people who are nothing like myself brought me out of my shell in a way I don’t believe anything else would have.”
Like many veterans, Ramon found that military life shaped not only his work ethic, but also how he approaches teamwork and leadership. The structure of chain of command and the importance of every individual playing their part became lessons that carried naturally into his civilian career. “You learn chain of command in both, and how every cog in the wheel is important,” he explains.
When it came time to transition out of the military, Ramon knew he wanted to pursue a career that would continue providing stability and opportunity for his family. That search eventually led him to industrial construction and, in 2018, to Performance Contractors. He started with the company as a pipefitter and recently transitioned into a role in materials, continuing to grow his career while building on the same principles that guided him in the Navy.
For Ramon, the similarities between military service and construction work made the transition feel surprisingly natural. “Moving from the military to construction is actually an easy transition and not very difficult,” he says. “That construction is an easy transition, but specifically with Performance Contractors it’s even easier.”
One of the things Ramon appreciates most about Performance is the respect shown toward veterans across the company. “Veterans seem to be looked on very highly here at Performance Contractors,” he says. “They are always acknowledged either in safety meetings or through a quick stop to give thanks.”
The values Ramon carried from his military service continue to shape the way he works every day: brotherhood, accountability, and the drive to accomplish every task quickly, safely, and effectively. Those lessons remain at the center of both his career and the way he supports the people around him.
Outside of work, Ramon enjoys spending time with his family and fishing whenever he gets the chance. He’s also a motorcycle enthusiast who previously rode a 2004 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy and is now making the transition to a Triumph.
To veterans considering a future at Performance, Ramon’s advice is straightforward: “Construction is an easy transition, but with Performance Contractors it’s even easier.”
