The Vans crate

[pgroell]

This video is about Jim Daggett, he is a Van's employee and building the wooden crates used to pack the RV parts.
Maybe you'll look at the crate from a different perspective once you've seen the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzZoSbHPgg

The video might have already been shown here, it was advertised recently on the french RV-list.

 

[danielhv]

This video is about Jim Daggett, he is a Van's employee and building the wooden crates used to pack the RV parts.
Maybe you'll look at the crate from a different perspective once you've seen the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzZoSbHPgg

The video might have already been shown here, it was advertised recently on the french RV-list.

Wow. Truly an inspiring video. Vans seems to be a model company... Makes me even more proud of my choice!

Nice find!

 

[jetjok]

Inspiration!

What a truly inspiring gentleman! I would hope that we could see to it that Jim gets a VAF hat as a small token of our appreciation for his part in our projects!
DR, how can we make that happen?

 

[panhandler1956]

Awesome!

I had heard that the guy running the crating shop was blind, but after watching the video I was blown away! This guy has true character!

I really appreciate the fact that he isn't letting his lack of eyesight slow him down one bit.

 

[bruceh]

And he is still even wearing safety glasses!

 

[BSwayze]

Our chapter has an annual tour through the factory, and they always tell us as we go through this area of the factory that we aren't to touch anything, or disturb anything because he has memorized where every part, every tool, and everything else is that he uses to perform his daily work. If someone messed it up, he would be lost. I have always been impressed by this, but up until now I hadn't seen anything of the man himself. What a great guy!

And this certainly says a lot about Van, that he hired this guy and has taken care of him for 14 years now. Makes me proud, too.

 

[flion]

And he is still even wearing safety glasses!

He's just blind; he still has eyes. And I know from a blind acquaintance that eye injuries are just as painful to the blind as to the sighted.

 

[OregonRVguy]

prostetics

Actually, He has prostetic eyes. The pain he endured was when he was young and the only cure back then was to sever the optic nerve...The safety glasses serve 2 purposes...a: keeps OHSA happy, b:a splinter or staple in an empty eye socket STILL would hurt like a B*^$%!!!

 

[larrynew]

Great video. Thanks for posting it. I had no idea the gentleman that made the boxes was blind. I did comment to several people how well made the wing boxes were when they arrived. I showed my wife and son the video last night and they were impressed, too.

 

[1flyer]

and has taken care of him for 14 years now. Makes me proud, too.

I think I might look at it a different way. The guy is a valued and productive worker that contributes to the overall sucess of the company. Rather than being "taken care of" I'd say he was a good, strong asset to the company and was more than earning his keep. The guys I've known that were working under a "disadvantage" didn't want that to be a factor in how others viewed their work. The man is very good at what he does. I doubt he wants to be "taken care of" and may even take offense at those that think he should be due to his blindness.

 

[Geico266]

When I toured the shop this was the only area we could not venture into. If we happen to move something the poor guy would never be able to find it.

He is an amazing man. Thanks for posting the video.

And thank you Vans Aircraft for ALL you do.

 

[BSwayze]

I think I might look at it a different way. The guy is a valued and productive worker that contributes to the overall sucess of the company. Rather than being "taken care of" I'd say he was a good, strong asset to the company and was more than earning his keep. The guys I've known that were working under a "disadvantage" didn't want that to be a factor in how others viewed their work. The man is very good at what he does. I doubt he wants to be "taken care of" and may even take offense at those that think he should be due to his blindness.

I agree with you, Bill. I didn't mean to say anything even slightly offensive. I come from the standpoint of having been an employer. Ask any employer who cares about people and they will all talk in terms of "taking good care of their employees". It was in that spirit that my comments were made. And in that sense, this man is treated no differently than all the other valuable employees that Van takes care of.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Not to down play the importance of Jim's work at Van's, but with the volume of crates that they ship, he can't get all of it done himself. Jim is the wood shop supervisor,with another guy working in the shop with him who's name is Walter.
I think Walter builds the Q.B. crates, but it is true that Jim is fully self sufficient at running the shop, it's just too much for one guy to do