The People of Pitco Featuring Ed MacDonald

At Pitco, skilled hands and sharp eyes keep production moving, and this month’s People of Pitco feature focuses on Ed MacDonald, who brings both to the floor every day. As a Machine Operator working with CNC (Computer Numerical Control) punches and lasers, Ed plays a key role in shaping the components that become Pitco’s equipment.

His path has twists, including a period of time away and a return that reveals a great deal about the culture here. We caught up with Ed to learn more about his work, his experience, and what motivates him to go outdoors the moment the shift ends.

Can you tell us about your role and what a typical day looks like?

It kind of depends on the day. It’s either I run one of the CNC punches or one of the lasers.

Everything starts off as a piece of sheet metal, then I put in the program I’m running, and I load my sheet and go.

What’s the biggest difference between running a CNC punch and running the laser?

A CNC essentially works a little bit faster than a laser. The laser comes down and slowly makes its line, but the CNC is a single, solid punch that comes out whole each time, so it moves pretty quickly.

How long have you been with Pitco, and what has your career path looked like?

Well, I’ve been in factory work for probably about 14 years, and this is my favorite place that I’ve worked. I was here for about a year before I moved, and now I’ve been back (at Pitco) for a few months. I’m doing the about the same work that I was doing before, and I really like it.

What made Pitco the place you wanted to return to?

One of the reasons why I came back is that this is the only company I’ve ever worked for that I feel really cares about their employees, and they show it. They take care of us.

Has anyone at Pitco made a big impact on your work experience?

I really like my supervisor, Steve Provost. Steve is hands down the best supervisor I’ve ever had. He works in a way, in my opinion, that a supervisor should work. If you’re working to do your job to the best of your abilities, he’s willing to work with you to get whatever you need or want done. He’s a good guy.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Anything in the woods. Literally anything outside—riding, hunting, fishing, hiking. I hate being inside. Also, I like welding on my vehicles!