|
|
EDWARD COZADD
130 Peggy Lee Ave.
Russell Springs, Kentucky 43642-6935
(502) 866-7387
A month out of school I went to work in a drill/router bit factory for 6 months. Worked in auto dealerships for 3 mo. Started tool and die training in Morton grove for 9 mo. Sheet metal products for 5 years. Earned a 10 % share of company. Got married to my first wife in 1955. Took correspondence course in Industrial Instrumentation and control electronics. Started in switch company in Mc Henry sample dept, later managed production them moved into engineering. Was there for 3 years. Company was acquired by Elkhart Ind Co. was offered job and went there for a month, came back to McHENRY and went into tool and die work for the man that previously owned the metal products co for a month in Union IL
Was called to work at Oak in Crystal Lake in 61'. Started as Applications Engineer due to experience in switch design, later managed sales for 4 states. Worked there 3 years. Went to work for a McHENRY sales co for a year , did not do well. Went to work selling auto parts for 1 year.
Got interested in foreign sport cars opened a part time repair shop for 2 years. Owned 2 sport cars, went racing and did well taking firsts in class. Had always wanted to be a pilot so I took lessons, passed the FAA written test with a 98 score and took the final flight test in 90 days total time. Owned 2 different airplanes.
Got a job as production manager for Echlin Mfg in Lakemoor.Worked as supervisor, product manger, traffic manager, engineer for 10 years. Moved the plant from Lakemoor to McHENRY to Litchfield IL
Divorced my first wife and met my present wife in the middle of all that and am happily married now 30 years. Also went to SIU Edwardsville to study 2 semesters of accounting at that time.
Left Echlin to work as quality control Engineer in stove industry in Belleville IL for a year. Opportunity to work for a Nationwide consulting firm got me working in Los Angeles for 6 mo commuting home on Fridays and leaving Sunday nights. 6 mo in Long Island 2 months in Aurora IL and El Paso TX / Juarez Mexico. Finally got to use the 2 years of Spanish classes. 4 mo in Holland MI, 6 mo in Baton Rouge LA, Worked in banks, hospitals, printing companies, more switch companies, catalog sales co., stereo mfgrs, food packaging. This was one of the best jobs I ever had. As consultants we analyzed company practices and procedures, diagramed what was happening and offered solutions to correct problems and increase production and cut costs. Writing skills were needed to write presentations and detailed procedures. The best part was the President of the company was obligated to do what we told him because he was paying us to do it.
While doing this I made friends and a reputation in the business and got a Job offer in Los Angeles that I couldn't refuse. Doubled my income !! Was offered job as Manufacturing Manager of a company making Laser Engraving and Welding machines..
Later became operations manager. Directed design and development of a new Laser machine that was used to sell $9 million in stock in the parent company. The company went bankrupt. The money disappeared in the mafia controlled parent company. Oh well so much for effort.
Found a job with Engineered Magnetics in LA as Manufacturing Engineer and was assigned to create an electronics product repair station for FAA and military equipment.. The company made Electronic power supplies for many military and commercial aircraft. We had black boxes in the AWACS Radar plane, SR71,Gemini and Apollo Spacecraft, Space shuttle, nuclear missiles, Lockheed L1011. Was successful in turning a $500K loss into a $50K profit in 2 years. Also became responsible for Building security and maintenance . Was employed there 6 years. The company was bought by a Canadian Firm and in trying to resell it they cut costs by a huge layoff in 1989.
Went to work for a property management company maintaining rental apartments about 2 years because aerospace jobs were scarce. Found a job with a residential lighting company as manufacturing engineering manager. The company had a phenomenal growth rate, doubling sales 4 years in a row. At $100Mil in sales they went public and went bankrupt in 1 year. I was out shortly after going on the market because the VP didn't like me.They fired him later too.
My old XT computer was not keeping up with demands so I bought all the parts and built my own 486-33 in1990. Have used it until last December when I found a newer one (and AMD K6-333) with all the goodies in a dumpster.
My last job was with Allied Signal Corp in Torrance CA . Our division made Cast jet engine rotor blades. I was Facilities Engineer. Worked 1 & 1 /2 years. The company was for sale. No buyers so they decided to close the plant.. My final acts were to sell off and coordinate moving $8 mil in casting and processing equipment and lock the doors.
We ( my wife and I) decided to get the Hell out of California and moved to Kentucky near her parents. The value of our Condo in LA dropped about $40K after the Rodney King beating and the Northridge earth quake. We moved in 94'
Here in Kentucky I built a 30 x 48 garage with an office and processing room for a part time business I had started in 92. Silk screening T shirts, hats and Jackets. Have worked in apartment maintenance and apartment repainting for 5 years here, semi retired in 97 to collect Social Security. Still
doing painting and some Silk screening because its easy..
All in all I have done quite well with numerous engineering jobs considering no college degree and with only one or two exceptions would be welcome to return to any of my previous employers. Have gained and lost hundreds of pounds through the years and still overweight.
