MARCO TOPETE
El’ TORNADO DE TEXAS
Marco Topete is one of the most interesting guys I have ever interviewed.
For starters, his voice immediately reminded me of what AC/DC singer Bon Scott might sound like if he were Mexican, I could barely resist mentioning it to him. I guess that cats out of the bag now. Marco, I hope you're an AC/DC fan.
Beyond his signature rock n roll roar, Marco is an easy to talk to, animated, and high energy character. His passion for what he does is obvious from a hundred yards away, which is why I singled him out as someone I wanted to interview when I was visiting Houston to work on the Storm-Tek project.
Little did I know he had a super interesting story to tell, with at times, clever and comedic delivery, and touching, heart warming sincerity.
Article, photos & video by Tony Clicks
Marco and the rest of the Topete family immigrated from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico to Houston,Texas in the mid 90’s.
He made the move with his beloved wife, Maria Del Carmen, and their six children, Marco, Paula, Montserratt, Rogelio, Walter & Kassandra, ranging in age from 14 years old to the youngest at only seven months.
The Topetes began their life in America with very little material possessions as all of the suitcases they had packed for the move were lost in transit. The Topetes arrived in Texas with nothing more than the clothes on their back.
Since that time Marco has worked his ass off to provide for his family, first as a foreman for Prestige Gunite, a Houston area pool contractor, where he proudly boasted a 13 year perfect attendance record, even working through a broken ankle.
As Marco puts it “I had to feed six kids.”
Wanting to further improve his family's lives he took an opportunity to work in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, taking along with him, his oldest son. It was after that trip that Marco made the jump to Underground construction, spending six months working for a contractor who agreed to pay him a hundred dollars a day, and teach him the business, in exchange for his brand of reliable, hard work.
After six months, Marco was ready to make the jump and strike out on his own.
He began with a humble compressor (pictured) and steadily grew his scope and skills. His first Directional Drilling machine was a used Vermeer 7x11, which like the compressor, lacked curb appeal, but meant financial freedom for the Topete family.
Both pieces of equipment have rightfully been honorably memorialized on the property behind the Topete family home, where they act as visual reminders to never forget where he came from or take his successes for granted. I think if you were to ask Marco where he would one day like to be laid to rest, he may very well tell you next to the old broken compressor by the back fence. Purely speculation.
In the last several years Marco has seen his life's work really come to fruition. His son Rogelio has followed in his footsteps into the HDD Industry and greets the work with no less vigor and is no less a character than his father. His company has grown to the point where he can take vacations and relax a bit, he has recently traveled, along with his wife, to such exotic locations as Dubai, Egypt, Cancun, and “The Malibu of Texas”...Galveston.
If you've read this far in the article I hope you will take a moment to watch the interview video with Marco.
I am putting it out there so others can hear and be inspired by this man's story, the love he has for his family, and the never-say-die attitude that he greets life with.
I also want to recognize his wife and the Matriarch of the Topete clan, Maria Del Carmen Topete, on behalf of Marco and their six kids.
As Marco put it, she did the hard work, and had the toughest job. He made it a point to recognize her in his interview so I am doing the same in the article. It’s clear from speaking to Marco that Maria Del Carmen means the world to him.
Watch Marco’s Interview
Check out Storm-Tek
**DISCLOSURE: Marco is a partner in Storm-Tek, a Houston based Utility Contractor that recently retained the services of Tony Clicks (creator of this site) to design a new website for them. However, I am writing this article and publishing it here strictly to shine a positive light on someone who has contributed tremendously to the HDD Community in his area. Marco, or Storm-Tek did not compensate me for, or have any editorial control of the content of this article, he didnt even know I was doing this.**We are all about celebrating the success of our fellow HDD Contractors and shining a positive light on the work they do, lives they touch, and communities they build. If you know someone that you would like to see featured on HDDContractor.com please feel free to CONTACT US.