The story of Alberto Salinas, a forestry operator, is marked by hard work, a passion for wood and a life built on work and family unity. From his early years helping his father in the countryside to his journeys along the country's roads behind the wheel of a truck, his career reflects the bond of those who have found in the forestry world much more than a job: a way of life.
At Acoforag we highlight his story, which brings together experience, dedication and a deep appreciation for the simple things, those that gain value with time and the work of one's own hands.
From the countryside to the roads
"I started, since I was the eldest, helping my father in the countryside," Alberto recalls when talking about his first approaches to work. That family experience was the starting point of a path that continued with his studies at the Escuela Industrial de Chillán, where he trained as a mechanical technician.
He practiced that trade for some years, although he held on to an aspiration that had accompanied him since childhood: to become a truck driver.
"I always liked driving, and getting to trucks was my childhood dream," he says with pride.
His dream came true and during the first twelve years of his working life he traveled the routes to Santiago transporting wood. They were years of kilometers, experiences and encounters with people he met along the way. A stage in which he found not only an occupation, but also the satisfaction of working in something he had always enjoyed.
Wood as part of his story
Alberto's bond with wood goes beyond his work. It is also present in his home, which he built using the knowledge he had acquired and the materials he had at hand.
With patience, he gathered boards and beams from the leftover wood he transported, until he shaped his own house. A personal project that reflects his creativity and his preference for handmade constructions.
"With all that raw wood, I put everything together myself. I have always tried to make it handmade, without iron, because I like wood," he relates.
In every corner of his home that connection remains with the material that has accompanied a good part of his life. The wood, which for years he transported along the roads, ended up becoming part of his family story as well.
The fortune of a united family
Outside of work, Alberto finds in everyday life and in small gestures one of his greatest satisfactions. His wife keeps a vegetable garden where she grows chard, parsley, mint and other plants that bring freshness and flavor to the family table.
He, for his part, enjoys those shared moments and preparing a special treat to welcome her at the end of the day. "In the afternoon, I wait for her here with something special, with a nice little afternoon snack," he says, revealing the importance that details and company have for him.
However, the greatest pride of both is their three children, professionals who grew up in an environment where effort, closeness and family unity have been fundamental.
"We have been a very united family, always together in everything. There lies my fortune," he concludes, moved.
Alberto Salinas's story is also a recognition of those who have built their path with perseverance, who have found in wood a vocation and who have made work a tool to move their families forward. Because behind every journey, every workday and every project there are people whose experiences give meaning to the forestry world.
At Acoforag, we value these life stories that put people at the center, along with their experience and the legacy they build day by day.
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