Meet Oiled Garcia, Mechanical Design Engineer

For Oiled Garcia, quality starts on the floor.

After 14 years with Atlas, he knows the best designs do not happen in isolation. They come from being close to the work, talking face-to-face with other departments and listening to the people who understand each step firsthand.

“I know my knowledge is not a substitute for that of the guy who knows how to weld,” Oiled says. “I might have what I think is a great idea, but he is going to tell me when and why that idea might not work.”

That respect for collaboration shapes how Oiled helps Atlas “Make Metal Personal.” He supports quality control, checks products against Atlas standards and uses software to make the process more consistent. His standard item library allows designs to be customized, checked digitally and moved into production with less trial and error.

One of his favorite Atlas details is the raised beaded edge on the company’s drop-ins, along with the factory-installed gasket that helps seal and insulate the cart.

“It’s a special and personal step that we take to deliver value,” he says.

What makes Atlas special to Oiled is the communication. He believes everyone’s voice needs to be heard, especially when someone sees a better way to do the work.

“Everyone’s voice needs to be heard and valued,” he says. “It makes your work better.”

Some of his favorite projects have also been the most challenging. Developing CSG food guards required the team to create a solution that worked across all units, while INFINITI FIT pushed him to think through modular flexibility from the ground up. That project ultimately required more than 2,000 parts drawings.

For Oiled, the reward is seeing a difficult idea become a finished product the whole team can stand behind.

“I feel a great sense of pride when we get to a finished piece,” he says. “I think the whole team does.”