After years of working in landscaping, Jesus Vega was sent to us by a temp agency to help out in our Sawing Department. Recognizing a hard worker when we see one, we offered him a full-time job. Jesus was ready for a change and jumped at the chance to leave landscaping behind. It’s hard to believe, but that was 27 years ago. As each year passed, his talent, dedication to the job and his eagerness to learn earned him additional responsibilities. Today, he runs the department with the title of Lead Saw Operator.
The Perfect Cut
Our assemblers have their work cut out for them…literally. Jesus’ main role, and the role of his Sawing Department, is to cut metal bar stock down to size to fit into one of our many different conveyor systems. Unlike some of our equipment, the saw is operated by hand and not programmed. For this reason, the end result greatly depends on the training and experience of the operators. Jesus says he takes great care in getting the measurements and setup correct to achieve the perfect cut before ever engaging the saw. His skill, leadership and trained eye helps keep the process going smoothly. This saves us both time and money, as raw materials are expensive.
Safety First
Jesus takes care in setting up the saw for safety reasons as well as accuracy. From the start, he teaches new operators how to work with the machine to avoid accidents. “You have to treat the saw with respect or it will bite you,” he said. Could it be he speaks from experience?
Doing What You Love
Jesus appreciates the fact that we move people around to different positions from time to time to break things up and allow them to see if they would enjoy the jobs in other departments. Jesus likes trying new things and has spent some time welding and in the grinding department, but always comes back to the saw. “It’s what I like to do most,” he says.
Free Time Fun
On his days off, most of the time you will find Jesus Vega spending time at the soccer fields watching his children play and cheering them on. He also enjoys coaching the younger players, something he has been doing for 15 years.
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