If the Heineken beer commercials claim they have the world’s most interesting man, then the BenGil Post can claim they just interviewed the BenGil area’s most interesting man.
Well-traveled? Yes. An adventurer? Yes. An artist? Yes. Unconventional path to success? Yes. Interesting? Intoxicatingly.
Ben Marcacci, a 1994 graduate of GHS, started life after high school like most other students. He attended Lewis and Clark Community College and majored in fire science. Knowing the inherent difficulties of finding a job as a structural firefighter, he decided to attend the welding program at Vatterott Institute. After Vatterott, while still waiting for a structural firefighter position to open, he took a welding job at Howden Fan in Springfield, IL, where he worked on huge ventilation fans for steel mills, coal mines, and other large factories. And it’s at that point in his life when he his road to success turned slightly unconventional.
Tired of the monotonous work at Howden Fan, Ben immediately knew he was cut from a different cloth than most. The traditional 9-5 wasn’t for him. “I hated every minute of working there. It was the same work place every day, same people, and same type of work. I had to figure out how to get out of there and fast!”.
And it was his disdain for the ordinary that led him to the extraordinary. He picked up his things and moved halfway across the country to Colorado and worked for the IronWorkers Local #24. It was in Colorado where he got his first taste of the firefighting career he longed for. He joined a crew that rehabbed fire lines. Even though he was at the bottom of the totem pole with regards to firefighters, it was just enough adventure to keep him in Colorado until 2000.
By 2000, the mundane life had again crept up on Ben. He decided his time in Colorado was over. Because of his new found skill as an iron worker and the booming construction scene, St. Louis was his new destination. He joined Ironworkers Local 396, bought a house on “The Hill”, and worked on various projects throughout the nation, including the new Busch Stadium, the Indianapolis International Airport, the St. Louis Zoo, and the Las Vegas City Center.
It was during his time in St. Louis that he finally got to pursue his passion for firefighting. After several months of phone calls and overcoming a barrage of obstacles, he finally found his “in.” He took time off from work, went back to school to get the required licenses to become a forest firefighter, and has been fighting forest fighters every summer since. He’s been to Canada, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.
In 2006, still not having satisfied his thirst for adventure, Ben started his own company Marcacci IronWorks. Building impressive pieces of art from iron, Ben has traveled all over the world including recently to Bimini in the Bahamas to make hand rails for a patio at a private home. He’s also sold pieces to buyers in Kuwait, Brazil, and Germany. Now not only does he spend his summers fighting fires across the U.S., but he also routinely attends art shows throughout the country.
Even with the success of his new company, he was once again taunted by the mundane life in 2008. He was presented with an offer to weld in Iraq, but at that time the benefits didn’t outweigh the risks so he declined. By 2009, he was singing a different tune as the offer was presented again, but this time the compensation was too much to pass up. He’s currently in Afghanistan working as a field service rep for a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle manufacturer. And that’s where his adventurous tale currently stops, even though the story is far from over.
When we asked Ben what he missed most about the area, he poignantly responded “Without a doubt, my friends and family. They are amazing in their support and encouragement.” And what he missed most about small town life, “I miss the elbow room. The city can get on your nerves. I think at some point I’ll be back for good. Who knows when. Two years; 20 years????.”
After all of his tales of adventures and travels, his most important tip for young people in Gillespie, “I don’t think I’m the guy to give anyone advice when it comes to academics. My academic career was mediocre at best; I might be stretching the truth by saying that. I kicked and bucked the entire way through my formal education. I don’t feel that grades on a report card proves one’s intelligence or worth but if you’re not going to make good grades, you better be willing to make a good effort in finding out what your good at.” He is a shining example that not just good grades open doors of opportunity. Passion, hard work, creativity, and resisting the fear of failure also have been known to kick a few doors down and lead people to the road of success. Ben may have not walked down the worn path, but he’s certainly found the destination of success.
Huge Thanks to Ben for being halfway around the world, and still responding to the questions within 24-48 hours.
If you know someone who would be a great candidate for “Where are they now” please e-mail us at news@thebengilpost.com
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