Allen Gutierrez is a humble, soft-spoken 20-something Santa Barbara local. He’s super close to his family, a devoted father, and a valuable part of the HofArc construction team. His careful expertise with metal is one of the reasons we’re able design and build such amazing Airstreams. Allen’s a pro with metal — adding windows and skylights, patching holes, and replacing panels. “The best thing about Allen is his positive attitude and outlook on life,” said Construction Manager Nate Stover. “He takes his craftsmanship personally and he has a high degree of pride in his work.”
HofArc: Would you share a bit about yourself?
Allen: I was born and raised in Santa Barbara. As a youngster, I lived in the Painted Cave area that’s located high up above the city. It’s a small, rural community at the 3,000 foot elevation, just off Hwy. 154. It even snows there once in a while. In high school, instead of hanging out in the city like most kids, my twin brother and I would go hiking for a couple days at a time. We’d build forts and do a lot of outside stuff in nature.
I’m really close to my family. We’re Native Americans. They all live here and in LA. Every Friday we meet up at the park and play volleyball at Tucker’s Grove. We hang out and talk about the week, play bocci ball and Frisbee, too. During the winter we go to my Grandma’s house and she cooks us dinner. We’re all pretty family-oriented and just love it.
HofArc: Can you tell us a little more about your family?
Allen: I have a two-year-old daughter named Jordyn who I adore. Every day after work we go for a bike ride down to the beach. If I’m 10 minutes late, she’s waiting for me with her helmet on. I’m also really close to my fraternal twin brother, Jonny. He’s a welder here in town. We go for bike rides on the weekends. On Sundays after church we go for rides and talk about life. We have separate lives, but we try not to lose our friendship. I’m really close to my mother and father, too. They live in Goleta now. I also have a sister who works full-time and is in college.
HofArc: What do you do for HofArc?
Allen: I do metalwork. I hang aluminum panels on the inside and out. I do a lot of patching, fastening metal with rivets, and fix chassis, hitches and front door steps. I remove and install windows, reinforce framing, and switch doors from front to back and left to right side. I do some welding, too.
HofArc: What do you like best about living in Santa Barbara?
Allen: The laidback atmosphere here and the people are what make Santa Barbara special. The mountains and the beach are within 10 minutes of each other, and the weather is amazing. Where else can you live that has this variety of life? It’s pretty neat.
HofArc: What are some other activities you enjoy?
Allen: I like volunteer work. I love to go on mission trips to Rosarito, Mexico. We fix water piping, paint and build storage areas. Last time we went down to Mexico we finished a family’s home. It was really fulfilling. It’s so cool to go back and see the same friends again and again — it’s something I love. I’m going camping this weekend with my church for my 26th birthday!
I also volunteer at the Botanical Gardens where my aunt works. Clearing brush and dirt out the aqueduct, sweeping pathways, and gardening is fun work I enjoy. On weekends, I go down to the Stearns Wharf with my daughter to get ice cream and candy at the shops.
HofArc: What’s it like working at HofArc?
Allen: Every day is different and challenging. I love using my brain so much. We’re constantly transforming something that was old into new condition. I get a lot of pride seeing a finished Airstream that I worked on. All the people who work here are characters and fun to work with. My Mom and others say many people don’t like their jobs, and that I’m lucky to love what I do five days a week.
The truth is, I love my life seven days a week. I wake up every day and I love going to work or hanging out with my family. I honestly love coming to work. Nothing is repetitive. Each day is a creative and challenging adventure.
HofArc: What do you hope to do with your career?
Allen: I want to further my craftsmanship skills right here at HofArc. I want to be a professional in what I do. I want to get it down to a science. This is a small start-up company that is really going places, and I look forward to furthering my education and experience. I don’t know everything – I know I have a lot to learn about metal. Before I came to HofArc, when I was in the sheet metal trade, a lot of older journeyman wouldn’t teach me things for fear of losing their job. It’s different at HofArc. We’re encouraged to teach our teammates what we know and to learn what they know. We’re committed to creating beautiful Airstreams together.
