Surveying Students from OIT visit SECO

Production Manager Terry Gerhart shows the students how to prepare a pallet to go through the mill. Product Manager Mike Copeland shows a silkscreen frame, used in production.

On May 29, sixteen students from the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and their instructor toured the facility, leaving with a better sense of the expertise, technology and quality control that goes into creating superior SECO products.

“We wanted the students to appreciate what holds that stuff (equipment) up,” said Assistant Professor Tim Kent, referring to the instruments and parts that they may be using in their futures in the surveying field.

The students were especially impressed by the fact that so much of our manufacturing is done in the facility itself. “It was a very good tour. I enjoyed seeing the whole process – how the whole thing is done in-house,” said Senior Andrew Poe.

The students were divided into groups and toured the entire plant before enjoying a catered lunch and a raffle. Senior Dan Nelson was amazed at how knowledgeable the staff members were. “Mike (Copeland) answered every question way far and beyond what I expected.”

Junior Jill Fritz was a little overwhelmed by how many different departments SECO has. “I was surprised to see the silk screening department,” she said, adding that she was impressed by the mini-prisms. Fritz also noted the seemingly small workforce for such a large manufacturing plant like SECO. “The amount of employees – I thought there would be a lot more.”

SECO Vice President Mike Dahl, who led one of the student tours, enjoyed showing the students the inner workings of the company.  “The OIT tour was a great opportunity to expose future surveyors and engineers to SECO. These young people will be our market in the future,” he said.

Students relax after enjoying a catered lunch.

After lunch, a raffle was held and Senior Robert Martin and Junior Justin Lambert won SECO vests. The group then ventured to the Sundial Bridge before heading back to Oregon.

The class was so inspired by their visit to SECO that Professor Kent said they are considering changing their curriculum to include a section about surveying equipment and accessories.

“The trip triggered an idea for us to put together a class about equipment maintenance and care,” he said, noting that many students were surprised by what they learned at SECO. “One student told me, ‘I didn’t know you could adjust this.’ and another never knew that you could adjust a bipod from the top – he had always done it from the bottom. We need some way to show how, for example, how tribrachs are critical to making it all work.”