Jason Davis, 51, is lead engineer of boiler operations at Panolam Surface Systems in Auburn, where he has worked for 32 years. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

AUBURN — At 51 years old, Jason Davis is at the top of his career as lead engineer of boiler operations at Panolam Surface Solutions, where he has been working for 32 years.

His father, now in his 80s, is a lifelong logger who did not want his sons to follow in his footsteps.

“He never wanted me and my brother to go in the logging business because it’s such a hard way of life,” Davis said.

After graduating from Oak Hill High School in Wales, the Sabattus native decided he wanted to become an electrician, and went to Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s electricity program. He found himself working at Gates Formed-Fibre Products, but it was only a temporary position.

“It just happened to be when we were walking out of our last shift,” Davis said. “The woman in front of me was saying, ‘Pioneer Plastics is hiring.’ I never heard of Pioneer Plastics. I said, ‘What is that?'”

Pioneer Plastics has become Panolam, which makes laminate products used in commercial and residential applications in hospitals, hotels, stores, furniture, transportation systems and even bowling lanes. Pionite, a trademarked brand name owned by Panolam, is an extremely durable plastic laminate made up of layers of treated paper.

Using the Yellow Pages, because cellphones with GPS did not exist, Davis found his way to Pionite Road in Auburn.

“I found it,” he said. “I came in, filled out an application and the next week, I was working. So, I’ve been here ever since.”

It was June 1992 when he began on the production team, then moving into maintenance. Davis soon found himself in the first of two apprenticeship programs and he was assigned to the boiler room.

The first apprenticeship was a four-year, 8,000-hour, credited, registered program.

The second program put him on track to become a stationary engineer.

Today, Davis is licensed as a first-class stationary engineer in Maine.

“So, we take care of boilers, air compressors, chillers. We call it auxiliary equipment,” Davis said.

It is kind of the heartbeat of the manufacturing plant — an around-the-clock job staffed by about a dozen people.

Jason Davis, 51, explains a bank of gauges and monitoring systems Aug. 2 that engineers at Panolam Surface Systems must monitor to ensure the plant runs efficiently and safely. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

“We’re stationed here, and we just maintain the equipment,” Davis said. “We do rounds, readings, make sure everything’s operating in a safe parameter.”

And if needed, Davis and his colleagues handle emergencies.

As a senior member of the team, Davis also manages the replacement of older equipment, ordering parts and the scheduling of preventive maintenance and work schedules for his team.

Even when the plant is not in production, the equipment runs 24/7.

“When you talk about thermal equipment, it’s good to get it warmed up and heat up and keep it warm and running,” Davis said. “So, it’s like when you go to truck stop, big rigs are still running all the time, right? Because maintenance-wise, it’s hard on the equipment, especially big rotating equipment, to keep shutting it down, turn it back on.”

That is also when mechanical failures can occur.

Inside the massive plant, it is noisy and hot in the boiler area — great in the winter months, but not so much in the summer. It gets hot where they generate steam for the plant, too.

Davis has also been handed the apprenticeship program to oversee. The student has become the teacher, he said, and it is the best part of his job. He teaches the high-pressure boiler course at Central Maine Community College in Auburn, part of the school’s workforce development program.

Davis said the worst part of his job is filling in on overnight shifts and holidays.

“I worked every holiday there is,” he said. “Some holidays (and other days) are tougher than others.”

The other days have included when the New England Patriots have made it to the Super Bowl, which has happened 10 times since Davis began working at Panolam.

“Everybody’s home watching the game except you,” he said. “And then Fourth of July at night. I’m married. I have three grown kids, but it’s been tough,” especially when the children were young.

Retirement is not at the forefront of Davis’ mind, although he admits that the older he gets, the more he thinks about it. For now, he spends much of his time off focused on charity. He is a member of a Masonic Lodge in Wales and the Kora Shriners in Lewiston.

“We raise a lot of money and we donate a lot of money,” Davis said, pointing out that Freemasons across the country donate $2.6 million a day to charity, as reported by beafreemason.org.

“They’re fraternal organizations, so they’re all men of good character,” Davis said. “The camaraderie, and then a lot of it just benevolence and charity.”

Like many Mainers, Davis and his family like to camp. They own land in Abbot where they go to get away from it all.

With his education, extensive training and experience, Davis could work at just about any manufacturing plant, but he gives some pretty familiar reasons why he stays.

“I think I’m just comfortable,” he said. “I found a home. I live in Sabattus. It’s an easy commute here, and I’m just very comfortable with the people and the plant.”

Even when he retires, Davis said he will teach or be involved with an apprenticeship program.

“It’s something that was never on my radar before,” he said. “They asked me if I’d be interested in it in the job. It’s just passing on that knowledge, right? It’s like no matter who you talk to, across any industry, everybody’s looking for employees.”

Davis said Maine has great need these days for workers in the trades.

“I just feel like I’m doing my part training the next generation,” he said, “and doing something about that problem.”

“Working” is a monthly feature highlighting an individual, group or business and focuses on what they do for their job. It is a great way to recognize people for their work or an entire career. If you have a suggestion for or would like to nominate someone for recognition, send an email to: cwheelock@sunjournal.com