Louis, Millwright Lead Pressman
For Louis, mining isn’t just a career; it’s a family legacy, a livelihood, and a commitment that spans generations.
A millwright lead pressman at Northern Star’s Pogo Mine, Louis has spent 20 years mastering the maintenance and repair of heavy machinery, large-scale processing equipment such as crushers, conveyors, and massive filter press systems that keep the operation moving. “If the machines aren’t running, nothing else can,” he says simply. His days are fast-paced and hands-on, balancing preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, scheduling parts, and leading work on some of the largest and most critical equipment on site.
“I like to think my job makes an impact,” says Louis. “Gold plays a practical, often crucial role in modern manufacturing because of its reliability and longevity. Without it, high-tech manufacturing would look very different.”
A Mining Legacy
Louis was raised in Bagdad, Arizona, a copper mining town where mining was woven into everyday life. His father and grandfather both worked in the industry, and he understood what mining provided: steady work, providing for family, and taking pride in a hard but honest trade.
“I grew up around it,” he says. “Mining paid the bills. It took care of families, including ours.”
After 12 years of working mill maintenance at the Bagdad copper mine, Louis followed a friend north to Alaska, first working at Fort Knox. He planned to stay a short time but when an opportunity at Pogo opened, one that offered competitive pay, a unique rotation schedule, and the ability to support his family while maintaining balance, everything changed.
That decision, he says, turned out to be one of the best he’s ever made.
“Pogo allowed me to do what I love, provide for my family, and still have meaningful time off,” Louis says. “It just worked.”
Today, Louis works a four-week-on, two-week-off schedule, a roster that demands focus and discipline. Over the past decade, he’s seen mining evolve rapidly, becoming more advanced, more essential, and more integrated into everyday life.
“People don’t realize how much mining touches everything,” he says. “The pace has increased because demand has increased. Technology, energy, infrastructure, mining fuels all of it.”
People Ensure Safe Operations
Despite the scale of the machines and the complexity of the work, Louis is quick to emphasize that modern mining is about people.
“Mining isn’t just rock and equipment,” he says. “It’s skilled trades, teamwork, and communication.”
That teamwork is especially evident when it comes to safety, something Louis considers non-negotiable.
“Safety is always first. If it’s not safe, you don’t do it, and Northern Star backs you,” he says. “That matters.”
Each shift at Pogo begins with a comprehensive safety meeting, where crews review assignments, identify hazards, and raise concerns. Louis says the culture is consistent and real, not just talking.
“I wouldn’t have my daughter working here if it wasn’t safe,” he adds.
Louis and his daughter at Pogo Mine.
A Family Affair
Louis’ daughter now works alongside him at Pogo, a moment he never expected but deeply values. She was living in Phoenix when she asked her dad for advice about a career change. He encouraged her to explore the industry and Northern Star.
“She saw what mining did for our family,” Louis says. “She had no background in metallurgy, but there was an entry-level position available. She took a chance.”
Seeing his daughter build her own career at Pogo has been one of Louis’s proudest moments. He credits Northern Star’s values, how they treat their people, prioritize safety, and support families for making it an easy decision.
“They encourage family teams,” he says. “That says a lot about who they are.”
Mentoring Mining’s Future
Louis takes pride not just in keeping machines running, but in helping others grow. One of his greatest accomplishments at Pogo, he says, is sharing knowledge, teaching younger workers, learning from them, and adapting to new technologies.
“The learning environment is amazing, and it goes both ways,” he explains. “When you teach, you learn too. And it makes everyone better.”
After two decades, what keeps him at Pogo is simple: strong pay, meaningful time off, and a work culture built on respect and accountability.
When asked to describe working at Pogo in three words, Louis doesn’t hesitate: “Safety. Wow. Unbelievable.”
There are uniquely Alaskan moments, watching the northern lights ripple across the sky after a long shift, and working in conditions unlike anywhere else in the world.
But for Louis, pride doesn’t come from the extremes or the machines alone. It comes from knowing that his work matters, keeping operations running safely, supporting his family, and helping power the modern world.
“Mining has changed a lot,” he says. “But at its core, it’s still about people taking care of each other and doing the job right.”
At Pogo, that’s exactly what Louis has done, every shift, every machine, for 20 years.