Behind the Scenes | Assembler Plays Vital Role in Crafting American-Made Lighting
Although his first name might make you think he’s Florida born and bred, Orlando is actually a Chicago native. Like many other people who call the Sunshine State home, Orlando and his wife are transplants who moved to Titusville in 2005 when Orlando retired after 22 years in the Air Force. They had family close by and he found work as an electronics technician at the Kennedy Space Center.
With job cuts that came at the end of the Space Shuttle program, Orlando suddenly found time to go back to school and start on his bachelor’s degree. He also worked as a contractor off and on at the Cape until last year when he landed at Barn Light Electric’s manufacturing facility as an assembler.
“I like the fast pace here and being able to stay busy,” Orlando says as he works on assembling a row of sockets lined up on his work station. “Most everybody here is a transplant and we like to talk about the different places we’ve been. I enjoy the camaraderie.”
On this day, Orlando is wiring a multitude of sockets, although he is happy to handle any work in the assembly department that needs his attention. His hands move swiftly to the immediate task, deftly playing his part in handcrafting our quality, American-made lighting. And yet his mind is always searching for ways to improve.
“I would like to learn more about industry standards and incorporate new materials and processes to make things better, faster,” he explains. “I want to do more research to enhance how we do our jobs each day.”
Orlando has been married for 33 years, and he and his wife have two adult sons, one in nearby Cocoa and one in Arkansas. When he’s not working or studying, he enjoys playing golf and fishing.
“I enjoy being part of this community,” Orlando says. “The diversity is what makes this place unique.”
