A Day in the Life of…The Maintenance Director

Harry is Back Road’s resident Head Equipment Specialist Extraordinaire. With 45 years of experience working with all types of machinery, he is co-owner Peter Vogel’s right-hand man when it comes to brainstorming, inventing new equipment, retrofitting and maintaining existing equipment, all serving to make our production line a lean machine. Harry works closely with the production crew. He values their insights & follows their lead, continuously tweaking finicky, moving parts of existing equipment to keep everything running smoothly.  The office staff appreciates all the little things Harry does for them, too.

I’ve always loved the challenge of machinery. I can usually make machines work the way they are supposed to, and sometimes better.

– Harry

To say that Harry is great to have around would be an understatement! Here’s feedback about him from some of our team:

Erica – Harry is a true maintenance treasure! He’s very patient and kind with us when something breaks down, and always has it fixed in a jiffy! He is very creative when it comes to new tools and equipment for the production line. He even handcrafts new tools for us to use and make production run smoother, such as the bag opener. Not only does he maintain the heck out of this place, but he brings us treats! He makes the best kielbasa! 

Tara – Not only does Harry take care of our office maintenance needs, but he also brings in treats like homemade maple-coated pumpkin seeds and tells me where the best cross-country skiing is to be had!

Coral – He maintains hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of extremely sophisticated machinery. He has decades of experience maintaining this kind of high-end equipment, often coming up with custom made solutions for unique problems as they arise. He and Peter, our co-founder, work together to brainstorm the next big ideas for the future of the company’s operational/mechanical improvements. His presence here is a huge part of why Peter feels comfortable moving further into “retirement” knowing that Harry is here, solve the inevitable production issues that come up throughout the week. 

Virginia – Harry’s years of experience, coupled with his innate ‘know how’  in maintaining complex machinery, made his coming on board 2 years ago both timely & welcome.  Back Road’s increasingly automated, custom production line equipment had reached a tipping point, and no longer being ‘easy’ to maintain by our very handy,  co-owner Peter Vogel. Harry and Peter have collaborated on new equipment & maximizing the capabilities of our current equipment to increase production. And, at the same time, making the job easier & safer for our great crew who run the line 5 days a week.

Thank you, Harry! We’re so fortunate to have you here!