Jay Harris may be relatively new to DECA but he has been doing soldering for over 30 years. Jay learned soldering when he was a kid because his grandad had slot cars which need to be fixed. Jay picked up the skill, realized he had a natural affinity for the work. and has been honing it ever since. He also took a 2 year course in electronics at Pioneer Career & Technology Center. Jay was hired by DECA after a successful on-the-job test doing one of DECA’s most difficult hand, precision soldering jobs. Cameron Haring, DECA’s CEO refers to him as a “soldering Picasso,” a reference to his signature beret and skill. Hand soldering is a very specialized process requiring a unique combination of skill and experience combined with natural ability.
Part of Jay’s success and speed comes from his ability to do ambidextrous work. His skill set includes other precision work such as wire stripping and adding terminations and connectors. When he is not doing pure soldering work, Jay likes to develop new products and work on prototypes. One of the things he likes best about working at DECA is the opportunity to handle his own work from start to finish - from combining materials to developing work processes all the way through to inspection. Jay described the atmosphere at DECA as like a family, noting that it is a group with a diverse set of talents and viewpoints that work pretty well together.
In speaking with Jay, you quickly notice his strong philosophical streak. Cameron noticed it early on; a post-it note with a thoughtful idea appears at Jay’s station just about every day. Jay focuses on the present. He believes that problems find their root in our minds and we would be better off if we did not give them the space or permission to exist. Jay is content to work on his own because it gives him time for reflection. When asked if there was anyone that inspired him or that he would like to meet, his answer was Shiva who is considered the original yogi and gave mankind the discipline of Yoga.
Jay lived for a while in the Virgin Islands, so he finds it hard to imagine a better vacation spot. Jay can find relaxation just about anywhere and he has a wide range of hobbies. When he is looking for a break, he loves to be outside biking on a trail, kayaking on Clear Fork, or hiking. He also admitted that he loves to cook. He has a brand new 36” Blackstone griddle that has seen a fair amount of use, smash burgers are a particular favorite. Jay even finds to solder and fix things up at home—he recently made a steel drum out of an old propane tank.
The importance of Soldering At DECA
Soldering is a very important service and vital part of our design/development work; particularly on projects for our defense and aerospace clients. The high standards of our soldering directly contributes to the strength and durability of a finished component. The quality of DECA welds is one of the things that allows the company to successfully provide critical wire and cable assemblies for specialized applications such as mission critical military components. Cameron is proud to have employees like Jay on the team helping to drive innovation and excellence at DECA Manufacturing
Comments