Karl Palermo: Working at a Family Company

Here at Hitchiner, our people define who we are. For everything we create, our team is given the freedom, education, and training needed to access new ideas, apply knowledge, and practice skills. Encouraging initiative is part of our culture. We believe in teamwork, invest in ideas and recognize success - offering equal opportunity and fair compensation to all. Meet the people we make us who we are:

A Family Company, a Q+A with Karl Palermo

·      How long have you worked at Hitchiner?

I have worked at Hitchiner for a little over three years.

·      In a nutshell, describe your job?

I started out at Hitchiner three years ago supporting the Facilities group, however, recently, my 22 years of experience managing a maintenance staff was called upon and I have taken over the role of Manager of Facilities and Maintenance at one of the Milford, NH manufacturing operations.  I have been challenged with revamping our parts inventory along with the implementation of our new maintenance work order scheduling system along with improving the performance and reliability of our equipment.

·      How many years have you been doing it?

I have been in a Maintenance Manager/Facilities role in the investment casting field for over twenty-five years.

·      What keeps you working at Hitchiner?

Hitchiner is an awesome place to work. Where else (pre-COVID) can you sit at lunch at the company owned restaurant and talk daily with the owner? Where else can you join a bowling team with your co-workers set up by the president of the company because he wanted to establish an activity that builds relationships while doing something that he loved to do? Where else can you go to our own private clinic and get medical care that is part of our network and not pay a penny for anything done there? You ask what keeps me working at Hitchiner? Well, it’s the relationships that I have built with people from the owner and the president on down. I did not have those connections at my previous employer that I now have at Hitchiner.

·      What was the thing that most surprised you about your job and the workplace?

A few things come to mind. I suffered a medical emergency before coming here. Hitchiner waited for me to recover. What other company would have done that? Another thing, the president of the company was part of the group that interviewed me. That showed me that he had an interest in me. One more thing, when I came here, I had been having lunch for three days with this fellow at the lunch table. I never asked his name. We talked about all kind of things and kind of talked like old friends do over lunch. Then on the next day he told me who he was: John Morison, III, the Chairman and CEO of the company. He then proceeded to tell me all about me and my experience and some of the people we knew in common; John took sincere interest in me. You cannot have these experiences and have those relationships in other places.

·      Was there anything special about the work environment that you did not expect?

I was able to watch, learn and assist as my manager designed and managed to build an amazing new facility. I understood maintenance, but the project management skills applied by my manager were something that I learned from. Our facilities group are both friends and co-workers. We volunteered for the trivia contest to represent Hitchiner with the Boys and Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, and we had our own bowling team. What I did not expect was to have such a different work life from the one that I had for the 22 years prior to joining Hitchiner.

·      What makes working at Hitchiner special?

I enjoy coming to work each morning.

·      Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I will be 64. I will be three years away from when I think I will retire. By then I will have improved the facility and equipment that I am now in charge of, along with any other responsibilities that come my way. I hope to be looking forward to retirement knowing that I have put in by that point 32 years in the investment casting business and the last 11 with a company that appreciates me and my efforts.

·      The foundry field is always changing: what have you done concerning personal development?

At this stage of my career, I have a lot of experience in what I do. The best thing for me in my own development is different than someone younger. My goal would be to use my experience to make Hitchiner better. At my age, I am developed. I need to pass that development on to others.

Here at Hitchiner, our people define who we are. For everything we create, our team is given the freedom, education, and training needed to access new ideas, apply knowledge, and practice skills. Encouraging initiative is part of our culture. We believe in teamwork, invest in ideas and recognize success - offering equal opportunity and fair compensation to all. Meet the people we make us who we are: