AARON Arokium has turned a childhood fascination with metal into a fruitful business and a life story of grit, faith, and steady progress.

From Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, he rose from humble beginnings to build a name in welding and fabrication. Today, his journey is proof that discipline and purpose can change one’s life.

He grew up in the country, spending his days playing football, swimming in the trenches and fishing. By age nine, he was already drawn to metal work.

“Ever since I was a kid, I felt the nudging in me for welding and fabrication,” he said, recalling how he would draw on the ground, beat and shape metal at home and show his mother what he had made. She encouraged him to keep going.

He later studied metallurgy at the Winifred Gaskin Memorial Secondary School in Berbice.

At age 17, Arokium left Guyana and began working in industrial welding. One of his early jobs was at HESS Oil Terminal in St. Lucia, an oil and storage facility where he worked as a welder and fabricator. He later continued with Buckeye after it took over the operation.

His resume also includes work with Tampa Tank Inc in Florida, CB&I and Exxon Mobil, giving him vast experience in the trade and the oil sector.

Even as a young man, he set clear goals. He wanted to become a “wizard” with metal by 18 and own his own business by 30. Those aims kept him focused as he moved through different jobs and learned from mentors overseas.

He told this publication that the discipline he built early helped him stay on course and grow into the business owner he is today.

However, the road was not easy. Arokium said he came from a large family where even basic needs were hard to meet. He believed hard work was the only way out of poverty, and he pushed himself to master his craft.

He gave credit to his mother who instilled values and confidence to keep him grounded. He also faced a stroke, a vehicular accident, and a separation from his partner. Still, he held onto faith and a positive outlook.

“In life I learned …in every adversity there is a lesson and a blessing,” he said.

In Guyana, he now runs AArokium Welding and Fabrication. He wants the company to grow beyond repairs, welding jobs, and commercial fabrication into the manufacturing of modern metal furniture for local and overseas markets.

He also hopes to offer warehouse fabrication solutions and storage units for businesses needing practical industrial support.

Arokium sees opportunity as Guyana’s engineering infrastructure expands and the oil and gas sector creates new demand for skilled workers. He wants to use his knowledge and experience to guide young people who are entering the trade.

For him, the next stage is not just business growth on projects within the oil and gas sector but helping others find a career path and create employment for fabricators and metal workers as Guyana continues to develop.

His advice is simple: “Stay ready.”

According to him, “preparation” brings “manifestation,” meaning hard work must come before success.

Now 38, Arokium said the hunger of his boyhood has been satisfied, and his childhood dreams are now real.