The DILO and Direct Family is filled with hard working, dedicated people- many of whom have been with the company for a decade or longer. Jeryl “Jerry” Richer, Production Manager for DILO Company Inc., has been part of our team the longest. Jerry began working for DILO Company over 22 years ago. Today, we are excited to focus on Jerry. While many customers might never get the chance to meet Jerry Richer, his hard work behind the scenes is vital to ensuring their satisfaction.
Jerry was working in the laser optics industry when he and 30 other people were laid off following the 9/11 attacks. Jerry was having trouble finding a new career as he was overqualified for most positions and employers were hesitant to bring on new employees during such an uncertain time. Luckily for us, fate brought Jerry into DILO one day. Reflecting on how he started with DILO, Jerry said:
“I walked into DILO and asked, ‘What do you do here?’ The response was that they built equipment used by the power industry. I knew nothing of the power industry, so I said thanks and started to walk out. The woman talking to me said, ‘Wait, don’t you want a job?’ I must have answered that I did.”
As the production manager for DILO, Jerry isresponsible for making sure that people, tools, equipment, materials, supplies, inventory, and the facilities are available to meet our customers’ needs. He works with other managers, suppliers, and anyone else necessary towards this common goal. When asked about Jerry, Corey Ratza, Sales Director for DILO, said the following:
“To put it simply, Jerry is the foundation of DILO operations. With his many years of service and wide range of skill sets, he is a true craftsman of any project he takes on. Jerry is dedicated to the future of DILO. He applies his critical thinking to strategic planning for the next year, five years, and even twenty years ahead. Ensuring our products, personnel, and facilities will hold up to the same quality standards as they have for many years.”
Below is a brief interview with Jerry:
What do you like about the T&D Industry?
I appreciate the stability of the industry and that there are always different challenges. With the power industry being some part of every other industry and life in general there are always different applications, people, places, and problems to make things interesting.
Tell me about what you do when you’re not working. What are your hobbies and interests?
After hours I enjoy quite a few different things. Home improvement projects, woodworking, old woodworking hand tools, history, the outdoors, and craft breweries are a few interests. Meeting and talking to new people over different beers in different breweries is always interesting
Tell me something unique or interesting about yourself.
I hand ground and polished a telescope mirror. I also applied the reflective coating to it myself. Engineers that coated the Hubble Space Telescope designed the coating I used. I was privileged to know them, working for the same company they did.
What do you like most about working for DILO?
I like working with a great group of people that contribute to the goal of meeting each customer’s needs with their own unique set of circumstances and conditions.
As you can see, Jerry is a dedicated and hardworking employee with a wide range of interests and abilities. As General Manager Billy Lao said, “Jerry’s knowledge and experience not only leads the team, but it also guides and supports the overall management of the organization to ensure our mission and our goal for customer satisfaction is met every day.”
Thanks for all you do, Jerry! We are so lucky to have you as part of the DILO Family. Be sure to check out Jerry’s Pro-Tip below, where he explains the importance of checking the power voltage before connecting to a gas cart.
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