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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 1977)
JUNE 19, wi PAGE Warm Springs Sub-Assembly Plant to Jd They've Outgrown the Barn )e id te ge a a a od ge gh nd im ■al :ar th, -H gh he bo ra- his ¡ell of in vili ¡ul ive for ing red is ing b iol ion out sad The space age came to Warm Springs eight and a half years ago—to what was once an old dairy barn 30 by 50 feet. Since it began its operation in 1969, the Warm Springs Sub-Assembly Plant, which as sembles electronic components, has grown to the extent that it’s experiencing some space problems of its own, But a solution may be at hand as a result of a yet undetermined amount of mon ey the Tribes will be receiving through a Public Works Grant. The funds are to facilitate the development" of the first phase of the Industrial Park which will be located by the fire control offices near Dry Creek. Included in the first phase will be the sub-assembly plant and the tribal garage. From the outside, the pre- sent building is unimpressive, but once inside the visitor is greeted by 14 employees work ing with a fascinating array of colorful wires, tiny bead-like toroids, and brightly colored paints. The shop takes on the appearance of an art studio or crafts class. It all started in*, the late 1960’s when a Tribal Council committee approached Tek tronics in Portland with the idea of starting up a subplant in Warm Springs. Tektronics was impressed enough with the proposal that, on December 15, 1968, they agreed to a one-year trial of a sub-assembly plant at Warm Springs, Ahd it has been successful. “We’ve never had a writ- ten contract with Tektronics, just a verbal agreement based on trust,” says supervisor Ev erett Miller. Miller, who has been with the plant since its beginning, stresses that WARM SPRINGS SUB-ASSEMBLY PLANT is the correct name - not Tektronics. “We just con- tract with Tektronics as well as with other firms.” Things moved swiftly after the agreement was reached. Miller, Maxine McKinley and Adeline Miller went to Portland in January 1969 for four weeks of training to learn how to assemble the components the new plant was to produce. Upon their return to Warm Springs, five additional ladies were hired and their first ship ment went out on February 10, 1969. The exhaust hose (right) sucks up excess smoke and fumes as Maxine McKinely is tinting leads for better electronic contacts. Maxine is one of the original trainers and has been with the plant 8% years. Miller enthusiastically at Miller explained that when tributes the success of the working with electronics it’s plant to the ladies saying that important to have a dust proof they deserve 90 percent of the environment. It is also neces credit. “They really stuck with sary to have adequate space it,” he says. for storage because the deli cate items have to be kept at By stressing quality, not room temperature. volume, and because they didn’t try to start out big, the In addition, they could plant was soon flourishing. “In our first year we paid for the handle a greater amount and plant itself, and our second variety of work if they had year was total profit,” Miller room for more employees -- and all this depends upon a says proudly. new building and more space, The Warm Springs Sub-As- according to Miller. sembly Plant has been most successful in producing oscil- But lack of space doesn’t loscope components for Tek- keep the friendly folks at the tronics. And this has led them Warm Springs Sub-Assembly to verbal contracts with other Plant from. extending the wel companies as well. come mat to visitors. They’re They have assembled cable located up by the rehab build units for Boeing and worked ing and their hours are from 8 for North Pacific Products, a a.m. to £ p.m. Monday through Bend toy manufacturer. Their Friday. work for North Pacific in- eluded assembling the plastic propeller driving mechanisms of rubberband-powered model airplanes, and plastic tails for kites. Marjorie Danzuka is winding red and gold insulated wire onto the toroids while JoAnn Moses paints the color mating onto the toroids, as is Linda Allen in the background. (Photos and Text by Sandy Rangila) Presently the plant is working on 27 different vari eties of toroids for Tektronics. Toroids are tiny bead-like things made of an iron sub stance. Red and gold insulated wire has to be wound on them by hand, after which they are mounted on circuitry boards and used in resisters. “The work is intricate but the ladies are good at it,” says Some of the original em Miller, “because they are used ployees who worked on that to doing beadwork.” first shipment are still there “Though recently we have including Maxine McKinley with eight and a half years. been concentrating on this pro Those with eight years at the ject for Tektronics, we are plant are Marjorie Danzuka, currently in negotiation with a Mary Danzuka, and Margaret new company,” says Miller. “If it works out, it’ll be the Suppah. first time with a written con Edith Kalama has worked tract for us.” there seven years, Jo Ann Moses six years, and Freda Though they’ve done well, Wallulatum has been there Miller says the plant has been four years. Other employees hurt for the last three years currently are; Linda Allen, because their facilities are in Lillian Felix, Edna Johnson, adequate. “We could have re Sharon Miller, Sandra Scott, ceived other contracts if we Venus Strong, and Arlene had a better building,” he Tenorio. , maintains. Edith Kalama puts the finishing coat on some toroids with a paint brash, then allows them to dry. After two hours, the toroids are popped into the oven for two hours, then all that’s left is the packaging for shipment.
