Decorah celebrates 30th anniversary

Photo by Diane Houdek, Decorah, Iowa
An elite group – Several former plant managers returned to Rockwell Collins in Decorah, Iowa, recently to help celebrate the facility’s 30th anniversary. Pictured (from left) are: Tom Regan, former plant manager; John Mueller, the facility’s original plant manager; Dave Latting, former plant manager; Mike Miller, former Human Resources manager; Kevin Myers, former Integrated Product Team leader; Mike Nelson, current plant manager; and Gordon Davis, former plant manager.

Celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries has been a long-standing tradition at Rockwell Collins in Decorah, Iowa, and one marked with the sharing of an autographed rock.

Therefore, it seemed only appropriate for employees to continue that tradition when the manufacturing facility celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special celebration and open house.

"It's been a tradition for our employees to sign a rock when they turn 30, 40 or 50 years old," said Steve Carnesi, a senior manufacturing electrical engineer in Decorah. "That rock is then passed to the next person celebrating that milestone event and so on and so forth. We thought we'd do the same thing for our facility."

Today, an engraved rock - signed by each of Decorah's 280 employees - rests in a landscaped area outside of the Northeast Iowa facility. Each of the employees also indicated on the rock the date on which their career at Rockwell Collins began.

But, dedicating the special rock was just part of a celebration and open house that included about 800 people - employees, their family members and friends, and several Rockwell Collins retirees.

"This party was extra special," said Carnesi. "Everyone really seemed to enjoy their time together."

In addition to the rock dedication, those in attendance also viewed a commemorative DVD highlighting the work accomplished at the facility during the past three decades, and they welcomed an old friend.

John Mueller, the original plant manager in Decorah, was on hand to recognize all long-term employees for their contributions over the years, including 24 people whose careers began when the facility first opened its doors.

"We had a total of 34 employees when our plant opened in 1978," said Mueller. "Today, 24 of those employees are still here."

One employee, who recently transitioned out of his role in Decorah, also was in attendance.

Gordon Davis spent two years as the plant manager in Decorah, but recently became director of 35th Street Operations in Cedar Rapids. His replacement, Mike Nelson, joined our company in April 1999, and assumed his new position in Decorah in early April.

"From the looks of the attendance at this event, this just might be my dream job," said Nelson, a former operations manager at our facility in Coralville.

Tours of the facility, which builds, tests and repairs navigation, communication and mechanical equipment for commercial aircraft, also were provided.

"This was the most energetic party we've had in Decorah since I've been here," said Carnesi, who has worked at the Decorah plant for nearly eight years. "It was really electric."