By Dana Engelbert

Photo by Brandon Jennings, Dallas, Texas
Home away from home — When Roger Kendrix joined the Rockwell Collins Service Center in Dallas, Texas, he found a home away from home. Kendrix is a senior lead technician and has been with our company for 29 years.

When Rockwell Collins Senior Lead Technician Roger Kendrix relocated six years ago from Atlanta, Ga., to Dallas, Texas, he was excited about being closer to home. The 29-year company veteran's extended family resides in his hometown of Monroe, La., and the thought of being within a four-hour drive was extremely appealing.

What Kendrix didn't realize when he joined our Dallas Service Center, which is actually located in the suburban community of Irving, Texas, was that he'd find a home away from home.

"The people here are excellent and, because we're so small, everyone gets to know everyone," said Kendrix, who is one of 40 employees in this facility. "Everybody's willing to help out whenever necessary. It's a family-type atmosphere and a great place to work."

When it comes to appreciating that spirit of familial cooperation, Kendrix is not alone. Jason Carter joined our company about four-and-a-half years ago and now supervises the Dallas Service Center's fourth shift. He and five of his colleagues work through the night to ensure our facility continues meeting our customer satisfaction goals.

"All of the people who work the fourth shift volunteered for that spot, so they're a little crazy," said Carter, laughing. "This crew is a little more laid back than others, and we have a lot of open communication."

That open communication and the small office setting are what drew Operations Manager Leanne Killmeyer from her position at our Government Systems facility in Richardson, to the Dallas Service Center.

Looking for a new challenge within our company, Killmeyer left her senior industrial engineering position in Richardson two years ago and has not looked back. She took time during her initial interview to visit with every technician and what she heard in those conversations sealed the deal.

"The technicians here are very intelligent, and they stay in these roles for a long time," said Killmeyer. "That knowledge is powerful, and it's what makes us successful."

A fast-paced environment

Continued success across our company requires a great deal of flexibility. Because our service center employees are repeatedly receiving items in need of repair, they never really know what to expect other than the fact our customers - major airlines - need those items back quickly.

According to Dallas Service Center Manager Ward Daniels, the facility's specialty is in legacy equipment, which likely was manufactured by our company several years ago and still is in operation. This means our technicians have in-depth knowledge of the navigation, display and electromechanical equipment.

"Our technicians are really focused on keeping our customers happy," said Daniels. "They will do whatever it takes to meet the commitments we've made to our customers."

That commitment includes a 76-hour turnaround time on all equipment, which our team consistently meets. With such a tight timeline, the pace at the Dallas Service Center is fast, but many of the employees, including Killmeyer, thrive in that environment.

"The pace here is more like a start-up company," said Killmeyer, who was accustomed to seeing a single piece of equipment take between six and 18 months to manufacture. "We're small, so nobody really specializes in one area. We all share a lot of roles."

Photo by Brandon Jennings, Dallas, Texas
The Rockwell Collins Service Center in Dallas, Texas, specializes in repairing legacy equipment for commercial airlines. This 12,000-square-foot facility, which is actually located within the Irving, Texas, city limits, currently houses 40 employees.

Equipment making its way through the Dallas Service Center must be completed in slightly more than three days, which adds to the quick pace, sense of urgency, and the spirit of cooperation.

In fact, meeting our customer satisfaction goals is one of the reasons Daniels, who has been with our company for nearly two decades, was attracted to the service center in Dallas.

"I like the culture of doing the right thing for our customers and for our company," said Daniels. "I like the people I work with; this is a good place to work."

For Carter, a large part of that positive work environment is due to mutual loyalty between our company and our employees. That is especially true at our Dallas Service Center, where the average tenure is 13.5 years.

"Rockwell Collins lets its employees do what they're the best at," said Carter. "Our company is loyal, and a lot of people have made working here a career."

- Dana Engelbert is a freelance writer.