ELIZABETHTOWN – A dream began to form in the heart of Yunior Ortiz 45 years ago in Honduras, born in the midst of national corruption scandals and government power struggles.
At the age of 16, the country was under attack by Nicaragua and the units from the 82nd Airborne — the 504th, began rigorous training exercises with orders to avoid the fighting on the border. North Carolina troops had traveled to Honduras while this young, wide-eyed Honduran was traveling to North Carolina.
Although he was born in the midst of great adversity, this one man slowly made his way to the United States and here in the midst of American governmental and political power struggles, he has found his peace that passes all understanding through his faith.
Ortiz gained citizenship at a young age and put his nose to the grindstone, putting a work ethic that he learned in South America to work in America. He began building his own American Dream as so many immigrants had done for 500 years before him.
After three years in America, Ortiz was introduced to another Honduran who had come to America to find a new life. He was introduced to Delmy Ayala at a family party and she said that she fell in love with him immediately. In his native tongue, he admits that he felt the same.
The couple have been together for 26 years and together they have been blessed with five children. Although they have labored in the country and raised a family, they have retained their Spanish language and the couple speaks very little English.
The interview was done through some very good interpreters who just happened to be their three daughters.
Yoselin, Amy and Ashely, all born in the United States are fluent in both Spanish and English and are not only the translators for their parents, but for the family business which began just two years ago and already, Ortiz Family Construction is flourishing.
Although they all live in the Clinton area, they do construction in multiple counties and are looking to expand even further. Before deciding to build his own construction business, Yunior was working on the assembly line for Godwin Manufacturing in Dunn.
“First and foremost, I want to give thanks to God who led me to open my own business,” he said. “It really all started with Yoselin who was going to an American church in Clinton. There were a lot of people there who needed construction work. We got good reviews and just became very busy.”
The core business of the three daughters and Yunior and Delmy, they have also incorporated a team of construction workers who have become more like family than employees. The core value that is required for everyone in their business.
He has been a teacher, a counselor and worker who labors right alongside his workforce.
“One of my priorities when I first came here was to grow,” he said. “Also to be able to have my own things, to be able to persevere.”
Actually, the first major purchase was a pair of cowboy boots. He said that he came from a place that wouldn’t afford him that luxury.
“With my first paycheck here in the U.S., I bought my own boots,” he said.
As for Delmy, she came to be able to make enough money to help out her family financially back in Honduras. In the family construction business, she works as hard or perhaps even harder than you will see most workers do. She not only hauls heavy boards but also does site preparation and then cleanup after the job is done. She wears the hat of a construction worker.
She wears another hat in the business since her family is working along side of her. Their most recent job was the demolition of an old and extremely large deck and then the rebuild of a new structure. Although the heat index was well over 100-degrees each day, this little “Ortiz army” – organized and focused, accomplished the task in 10 days. When things move so quickly, she says that time-management is always a challenge.
Delmy, wearing her hat of mother and wife not only works alongside her family, but makes sure they get enough water, they take lunch breaks and makes sure their health is a priority. If it’s the father who makes sure his team remains focused and working, it’s the mother who makes sure they are healthy and taken care of.
She works side by side with her husband and says that it’s always amazing. They both say that they are just as in love with each other as ever. Even in spite of the challenges at work and at home. She learned the construction trade from her husband and as a quick study, she has done well, according to him.
“I am not only proud of her, but all my family and workers,” he said. “They always give me a full day of hard work and our joy is in accomplishing things expediently and knowing that we put forth quality work which we stand behind 100%.”
Growing up Ortiz was different for each of the girls who had the advantage of learning domestic skills from their mother and learning how to build from their father. They were taught skills that would get them through the journey of life.
Yoselin, the oldest daughter at 24, and the only one of the three who does not live at home, has adopted the work ethic from her father and the quiet focus from her mother. She can always be seen wearing her tool belt.
“I grew up in a very humble home,” she said. “My dad was very dedicated, making sure that he worked hard to give us whatever we needed. We grew up in a very close and happy family. Always pushed through, always helped others in the community.”
She is taking the lead among the girls with a hand in the family business as their two boys are both working on their schooling. Jonathon Ortiz is 23 and is pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Jehoshaphat is 14, and a freshman at Clinton High School.
“Seeing my dad achieve his goals is something that is very meaningful to me,” she said. “Especially since I watched him give everything to us when we were younger. So, I feel that partially, as a token of my gratitude and appreciation for everything he’s done, sacrificing his dreams at times, I feel I should give back to him.”
If Yunior put a hammer in the hand of his first-born baby girl, he surely put a pencil in the hand of the middle daughter, Amy, who is now 20 years old. She is not only involved in the bookkeeping and accounting of the family business, but also works a full-time job at Clinton Appliance & Furniture.
“One of my fondest memories is how we overcame adversity as a family,” Amy said. “Everyone struggles at times. We came from a household that started from nothing and we built up. Thanks to the Lord, we are where we are right now. I remember my dad teaching me how to learn, how to write and then going out and sacrificing time with us so he could provide for us, going out to work while mom stayed back and took care of us. I remember happy moments and am thankful to my mom and dad for all they’ve done for us. They’ve taught us the true meaning of valuing things and how to be grateful for each thing we have. I owe a lot to my mom, too. I tell everyone that I get my brains from my mom. She’s taught me everything I know, especially when it comes to business and using common sense. She’s always taught me about values and morals and faith. I wouldn’t be who I am today as a woman without her input.”
Ashley is 19 and the youngster of the family. She is pretty much the liaison between the customer and their business. She handles all the requests of the client and then has the sometimes-difficult job of translating it all to her father.
“Actually, I am the secretary also and handle all the payroll,” Ashley said. “I also do customer care, giving them estimates, translate for my dad, and do most of the paperwork. I am now getting an associate degree in construction from Sampson Community College. I am hoping I can get a little bit of knowledge there so that I can better help our business.”
There are some challenges to being fluent in two languages and making sure nothing gets lost in that translation as far as the business goes.
“Sometimes it’s just using the right words,” she said. “When you are talking to a customer, there’s some pressure so you just have to think quickly of what words to use, how to use those words and how to express yourself, too. There are some words that people may misinterpret and that can cause problems. My goal is to offer clear communication. We also don’t want to portray us as high and mighty, but humble and caring for their needs. We love to make our customers like family.”
One of the major issues in America right now is the border crisis. Yunior and Delmy both came to America and did things according to the law. They worked hard and earned everything they have – including respect. They never received anything free – including health care. In fact, they provide and pay for all the health care for the employees in their company. They are aware of some of these issues facing the country right now and as legal immigrants who have become a valuable asset to their community, the question turns to their thoughts on what is going on concerning the border crisis.
“Personally, I just want to, again give thanks to God for how He brought me here and how He sustains me,” Yunior said. “Thankfully, I was able to work for what we have. Through this business, we are able to help other people who want to work, to learn and to grow. The majority of people are coming to this country to find a better life and to get a job to help their families. But for that small portion of people who come over here and go about it the wrong way, at the end of the day, I leave it in God’s hands and I pray for them. It wouldn’t be morally right for me to sit there and judge a person. I just focus on my family and keeping my eyes on our business.”
At this point, the business also has a handful of workers who were not born into the Ortiz family. As you see them work for the Ortiz Family Construction Company, you see dedication, hard work and hand-picked individuals that fit the high standards that Yunior and Delmy Ortiz have set forth. The one thing that you see above all things is the care, the love and the admiration they all have for one another. They may not have been born into the family, but the Ortiz family makes sure that they know that they are “grafted” in.
“We are just proud of them,” Yunior said. “Their hard work and ethic is amazing especially when it comes to the family business. We try to treat everyone like family and make sure our workers are also treating our customers like family. That’s one of our main goals here. There’s nothing better than word-of-mouth compliments and recommendations and we are grateful to our customers for that. It keeps our family and our business alive and growing.”
They resemble a finely-knit family of worker bees who are tireless in their quest for excellence, undeterred by things like the weather, and their communication with one another is spot on. Their motto is “Construction in Excellence” and though they have set the bar high, they have had the ability to reach and exceed it.
One customer who was having trouble getting a contractor to come in to do a job asked Yunior Ortiz, “how long before you could start?” Ortiz looked at the man and said, “how about manana?”
The customer remarked, “You mean – tomorrow, manana?”
Ortiz Family Construction now works in Sampson and Bladen counties and are looking to expand and extend their borders. This business born in the heart of Yunior Ortiz has come a long way from that first pair of cowboy boots, and each challenge they face… it’s certainly not their first rodeo.
Mark DeLap is a journalist, photographer and the editor and general manager of the Bladen Journal. To email him, send a message to: [email protected]
