Meet Ernest Romero
Ernest Romero, Jr. is no stranger to public transit. He grew up in Ontario, California and fondly remembers sitting at bus stops under the shade of a shelter waiting for the bus to take him to school and around town. Now, Ernest designs those very bus shelters!
As a first generation college student, Ernest Romero attended ITT Technical Institute where he achieved the honor of class Valedictorian. He then went on to further his mechanical engineering studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He began his career at Tolar Manufacturing Company in 2011 as an Engineering Assistant. Ernest quickly moved up the ranks advancing his skills in both of Tolar’s engineering and manufacturing software, and is now a UL 48 Electric Sign certified Senior Design Engineer leading some of the company’s most complex and prestigious design projects.
Notable Accomplishments
Among Romero’s notable accomplishments include being the lead designer for over 700 bus shelters located through out San Diego County that showcase four unique designs for San Diego Metropolitan Transit District (SDMTS). He also produced engineering packages for LA Metro’s BRT service, a shelter project for the University of Southern California (USC), and most recently created design and fabrication packages for the City of Fresno’s downtown civic center, among many other projects. Importantly, Romero thinks beyond the aesthetic requirements and material specifications of projects, recognizing the economic realities of how the operations team at transit agencies across North America will install and maintain our company’s shelters and related street furniture.
Ernest Romero, Jr. was also named in Mass Transit Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” in September 2018. He was selected from more than 150 nominations across the nation, representing transit professionals with proven records of accomplishment and who are making a difference in the industry. Read about his award here.
What I’m most proud of . . .
When asked what he is most proud of, Ernest responds, “Well, I married my high school sweetheart and we’ve been together for over 22 years and I love coaching my four son’s baseball teams so I’m really proud of being a husband and father. But within the realm of my career, I’d have to say that I find it very rewarding knowing that I’m helping to improve our environment by creating safe and functional places for people across the country to feel comfortable using public transportation in their daily lives to go to school and work.”
A word from our founder . . .
“Ernest constantly demonstrates his dedication to Tolar Manufacturing’s goals of making the design and functionality of public transit street furniture a top priority,” remarked Gary Tolar, Founder and President of Tolar Manufacturing Company.
