“I’m originally from Colombia, South America. I came to the states in 1964. I lived and worked in New York City through two winters. After the weather ran me out of New York, I moved to California in 1966. I worked there at a dye company as a chemist running the dye house. I was in charge of about 70 people. I enjoy traveling, so myself and a friend took off about four months to travel through Europe. When I came back, they sold the dye company I was working for. I left that company and worked for two more chemical companies that sold dyes and chemicals to the textile industry.
In 1974 my employer needed a chemist in Dalton, so I moved here. At the time, I had decided I wanted to live in Chattanooga. A friend of mine told me if you want to do business in Dalton, you need to live in Dalton, so I took his advice.
I eventually had a disagreement with my employer. I decided I had two options, kill him or leave the company. So, he did me a favor and fired me. In 1979 I took eight months off and decided to get my real estate license. At that time, the market was very challenging because mortgage interest rates were 17%. During this season of life, I learned a lot of good lessons. I learned that if I could live in New York for two years, I could live anywhere. I also learned, if I can survive the real estate market in 1979, I can do anything.
Dalton has a friendly atmosphere, but it was challenging being Colombian. At the time, I was the only bilingual real estate agent north of Atlanta. Little by little I built my circle and decided to become a broker. In the late 1980s there was an influx in the Latino population. Being bilingual really helped me serve the Spanish speaking community.
What I love the most about Dalton is the entrepreneurial spirit. I know someone who started working in chicken houses and retired very wealthy. There are a lot of opportunities here!
I am in many civic organizations that have given me the opportunity to get involved in the community. Dalton is home for me.