Even though Brandon has been with Penn Elcom just shy of 9 years, this was his first visit to one of the Penn Elcom UK facilities. “The reason for my visit was primarily to see the operations in the UK; seeing how sheet steel is taken from raw material to a finished product as well as to meet with employees, discussing the methods used in their day-to-day activities.”
Brandon spent time with team members across various departments such as Sales, Product Design and Marketing. “I had the opportunity to sit down with colleagues one-on-one and find out more about their duties & responsibilities. Many of which I have had contact with but this was the first time we could meet face to face! I also learnt about the design process; how an idea comes to life from just a thought, to a CAD drawing, to product development & then finalization. From there, the conversation quickly turns to future streamlining of the varied processes to be more efficient, productive and cost-effective, utilizing less waste amongst other things.”
Born in New Hampshire USA, Brandon is the son of a Naval officer and so has lived in various locations including Maine, Cuba, Connecticut, California, Maryland, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas! “I currently reside in Austin, Texas USA where I enjoy traveling the nearby hill country. Austin has a very diverse music scene where I can go out on almost any night of the week to listen to musicians and bands. I play the guitar, bass and drums and have experience in audio recording & production. I have also toured as a musician and played venues in the mid-west, eastern and southern US coasts.”
Brandon is also a very keen craftsman, “I enjoy leathercraft and making anything from a small card wallet to other items including belts, cross body bags, briefcases and more”, so he couldn’t wait to explore the Penn Elcom factory!
“I witnessed all aspects of manufacturing including the large machinery in action such as the brake presses & Salvagnini panel benders. I was able to see first-hand the process of raw metal going through an acid wash and then go through powder coating.”
Brandon also spent some time in our specialist cable department, soldering cable, fully assembling a RADM-23CW rack light as well as seeing our UV printing process for custom projects and rack panels.
Of course, having made the 4,600+ mile trip from Texas, Brandon was sure to make the most of his time in the south of England, exploring the historical seaside town of Hastings, as well as sightseeing in London. “I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the old streets & historical architecture of Hastings. I happened upon an impromptu car show where I saw some vintage British cars and interestingly some classic American muscle cars. I then took a solo trip to London to experience the city & culture. I allowed myself to get lost and took a walking tour seeing all the sights I could in one day. Google Timeline shows I walked between 9 & 12 miles on the day!”
When asked about his trip to Penn Elcom UK, Brandon said; “My visit has had a positive impact and answered a lot of questions I may have had, and really improved my overall understanding of various processes that I can relay to my team in Austin, Texas. Above all, I feel the visit affirms my belief this is the company I want to work for & with.”
