Dublin graduate Daniel Gonzalez has worked in different industries throughout his career, and learned something from each of them. Now, as a quality control lab technician for Schreiber Foods, Gonzalez enjoys being part of the important industry of food production and is grateful for his previous employers who helped him get there.
Gonzalez graduated from Dublin High School in 2010. His first job after high school was at Woody’s Bar and Grill, where he worked for around five years. When he left Woody’s, he worked a couple of odd jobs at Golden Chick and Olam’s peanut factory before finding a position he really enjoyed at Bruner Motors.
He started out detailing cars, and even managed the detail shop for a while. He also spent time working in the service department. “I really did enjoy my time with the Bruners,” he said. “I had a great manager there who taught me a lot of things, which helped me [at my current job]. He taught me about being like a leader, being able to talk to people and manage people.”
Gonzalez was shy growing up, and he credits his manager at Burner with helping break him out of his shell. “He really helped me try and achieve some of the goals that I wanted to achieve,” he said.
After four years at Bruner, Gonzalez found a new job at Schreiber Foods. He started out working on the packaging floor as an auto caser, then after a year received a promotion to quality control lab technician for the cream cheese department, where he still works today.
An average day is busy and full of interesting tasks. “On a regular, typical day, we clock in, get dressed out in our uniforms, and then start to test cheese,” he said. “We make sure everything’s good — our code dates, our packaging — and then we’ll do testing on the cheese for flavor, pH, analyticals, salt levels, all that good stuff. And we’ll be doing that every hour on the hour.”
The team does other testing too, to make sure the cheese is free of mold and other contaminants, and they also have designated cleaning days. Since the factory runs 24 hours a day, once Gonzalez finishes his shift, the next team is already in and ready to start.
“My favorite part about the cream cheese lab is like we’re not just in one area, we’re throughout the whole plant; we play a part in every step of the production,” he said. “We start with the receiving of the milk trucks, into the second stage where they process the cheese and make it, and then we go up to the packaging floor and we talk to the leadership or partners. We see the cheese start from milk and then transition into cream cheese. And we’re the last people to see that cheese before it gets shipped out.”
Gonzalez appreciates Schreiber for their good benefits, competitive pay and opportunities for growth and advancement. “It’s a Good company to work for because, if you do feel like you know you’ve run your course on a certain career path, you can always try to move up or switch to a different department,” he said.
When he’s not working, Gonzalez enjoys activities that better himself. “I like to read,” he said. “I’m always trying to expand on my knowledge... And I enjoy working out, playing guitar, and just staying healthy.”
Gonzalez has two sons from a previous marriage,Kolton, 10, and Nathaniel, 9, who both attend Dublin schools. “Right now, my oldest is really into sports,” said Gonzalez. “He really loves baseball, and we just set him up for the football program. Same thing with my younger son. They enjoy sports, and like a lot of kids, electronics.”
Throughout his life, his children have been a great inspiration for Gonzalez. “[I work hard] trying to provide for them and get a better future for them,” he said.
Gonzalez lives in Dublin with his girlfriend, Tiffany Saldivar, and her two daughters. His father and sisters also live in the Dublin area.
Gonzalez currently attends Cottonwood Baptist Church. “I’m very Christ-centered, so a big thing in my life has been going to church and following the teachings of God,” he said. “If you ever have questions, the Bible has an answer for it. Might have to look for it, reread it a few times, but it’s there for you.”
Gonzalez’ advice to Dublin graduates is to always have a goal to chase after. “Set some goals and try to do them, and just know that there’s no real time frame in this life. You just have to go for what you want to achieve, and never be satisfied — always try to better yourself, whether it be financially or academically, because there’s a lot we can accomplish, and you don’t want to be later on in life having regrets and saying, ‘I didn’t do this or I didn’t do that’. Whatever it is that you want to do, go for it.”
— Where Are They Now chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@ dublincitizen. com.