The People of Pitco Featuring Jeff Bourdeau

This month’s People of Pitco feature is Jeff Bourdeau, whose long term commitment to the company has allowed him to travel the world to share his knowledge. We talked to Jeff to see just how important his job is for forwarding education in the technical service industry, and how his efforts continue to enforce to Pitco’s mission to provide excellent service worldwide.

How long have you been with Pitco? Describe your career path throughout your time here.

I’ve been at Pitco for 30 years. I actually started in peening at entry level, back in 1995. From there, I’ve pretty much held every manufacturing role with the exception of welding. I’ve been a builder, I’ve run press, brake and lasers. I’ve line led, and I’ve supervised.

In 2005, I joined the technical service department and was a phone tech for about 20 years. Then I became a service trainer, so for the last three years, I’ve been traveling and training technicians.

Describe your responsibilities or a typical day in your role.

I teach technicians how to service our equipment. I’m on the road 75% of the time. We get hands on, and down and dirty with the electrical, mechanical, and just about any type of troubleshooting or repairs needed for the equipment in the training sessions. I manage two other trainers, Marcos and Travis, that travel and train as well.

What do you like most about your job?

I like interacting with new people! When I’m doing all that traveling, I’m constantly meeting new people and seeing new cultures. It’s great to see technicians learn about the equipment, and to see them and be excited about it.

Is there a favorite place that you’ve traveled to? 

Portugal, this year. The climate was awesome. The culture was awesome. Everything about it. That was my first time in Portugal. 

What are some hobbies and interests you have outside of work?

It’s really my family. I’ve got eight kids and seven grandkids. I’m always doing stuff with the family. I also like golfing! Even in the winter I have a membership to an indoor golf simulator, so I golf year round. 

How has your experience at Pitco kept you with the company?

I have worked my way up here, and even though I’ve been here for 30 years, at every single training I’m part of I learn something from the trainees. There’s always little nuances that they’ve found out in the field that they share with me. It’s really cool when I’m out training and I say something to a technician and they’re like, oh my goodness, why didn’t I know that 10 years ago? It’s good to see the light bulb go off when I’m training and to have my light bulb go off as well.

This is a great company. They’ve seen me through a lot of things, and I’ve raised my whole family through working here. This company is just as much a support circle as my real family.