July Employee Recognition: Ray DeoCampo

Introducing Ray DeoCampo, our exceptional Tool & Moldmaker Supervisor! Ray supports Thal Precision, the Moldmaking Division of Natech Plastics.

He was nominated for his valuable support to the Natech molding department with tooling evaluations, diagnoses, and repairs. His expertise is instrumental in maintaining our high standards of quality and efficiency. He’s also famous for making learning fun and understandable, which makes it easy for the entire team to diversify their moldmaking knowledge. Read Ray’s full spotlight to learn more.

Ray is instrumental in diagnosing quality issues and providing feedback on how to address these problems. I appreciate not only Ray’s willingness to jump in and help, but also helping improve the connections, relationships, and communication at Natech.

Paul Thal

WORKING AT NATECH

Q: How would you describe your career?

A: I would describe my career as a 44-year journey in moldmaking, which started in high school machine shop class. From there, I moved on to my first job in a production shop and then to building dies for zinc casting. I also enrolled in a four-year apprenticeship program. In my third job, I focused on building plastic injection and metal injection molds. During those early years, I had the privilege of being mentored by some of the best toolmakers and moldmakers in the business. I also worked part-time in another shop, where I learned and improved my skills. Today, I share my experience to help others build on their knowledge and reduce the learning curve.

Q: How do you feel like you’ve grown or changed in the last few years?

A: Moldmaking can be stressful at times, but here, I have learned how to better understand my coworkers and their personalities. “Seek to understand” is a principle I follow by listening to others and understanding body language. I try to implement small changes in processes, improve time management, and be proactive rather than reactive. These are a few tools I use when training apprentices.

Q: What’s your favorite part about working here?

A: I’ve had the opportunity to make small improvements in productivity and time management while helping train others in the process.

Q: How did you start your career in toolmaking?

A: I entered a four-year Vocational and Technical high school with the hope of becoming an auto mechanic due to my love for cars. However, I was unable to join the auto mechanic class as it was always full. I explored other trades but none interested me. The school coordinator suggested machine shop, and when I tried it, everything fell into place.

Q: What are your favorite work memories?

A: Getting together with old coworkers who became friends and spending time with them outside work for dinner or phone calls.

Q: How would you describe Thal Precision in three words?

A: Challenging, collaborative, and innovative.

Ray and I developed a strong connection very early on into meeting one another. We jokingly started calling each other “cousin” and “brothers from other mothers,” mostly because our friendship came so naturally. We have worked together on countless mini-projects since Thal and Natech merged together into a single organization.

Ray is like a molding forensic investigator. He’s on a level so high that the folks from CSI would be jealous! His ability to look at a mold and diagnose exactly what is wrong, and quickly, is unmatched in my many years of working in plastics. Not only that, but his willingness to share and his skill of teaching really complement his expertise well. Working with him has been one of the highest pleasures I have had at Natech and I look forward to many more years of watching him work his magic!

Mike Botta

PERSONAL LIFE

Q: What is something that most people might not know about you?

A: I love the phrase, “love what you do and do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This quote describes my approach to work, even though my coworkers might think I am crazy. Helping others find solutions to problems or improve their skills brings me great satisfaction. Additionally, I have always kept my foot in this trade by helping out a friend who owned a small shop whenever he needed assistance. I also changed to another career in home improvement retail, working full-time and part-time for 17 years while still being involved in shops.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: I enjoy renovating our home by doing improvements, updates, maintenance, and repairs. I also do auto repairs and maintenance. Spending quality time with my family and dog is important to me. If possible, I also like to go saltwater fishing.

Q: What’s one thing that you can’t live without?

A: Faith.

I have worked with Ray for many years. Besides being a terrific toolmaker, he is a friend, always there with a bottle for a special occasion or a balloon for a celebration.

Pete Cody

ALL ABOUT RAY

Q: What motivates you?

A: Working out or fixing a problem that nobody had success with motivates me in my many jobs.

Q: Why do you feel proud to work at Natech?

A: I get to work with some of the best and brightest people at both facilities, sharing our knowledge and experience to make each other better through collaboration.

Q: What are three traits that define you?

A: Curiosity, creativity, and flexibility.

Q: What are your goals for the organization in the next few years?

A: I want to help improve productivity by suggesting the right tooling and machinery for manufacturing and repairs in both facilities. I also want to help train new apprentices and employees, teaching them about shop practices and processes and reduce the learning curve. My goal is to work smarter, not harder!

In my limited time working with Ray, it was immediately apparent that he goes above and beyond, not just in service to the final output, but to teach others along the way as well. He is great at illustrating what needs to go into ensuring things are done correctly and why.

Before we even met in person, he went out of his way to contact me when he was going to be on-site at Natech for a mold repair. He took the time to explain some of the nuances at play in-person, which deepened my understanding of molds in a very practical way. That way, I could implement better solutions in the future.

Dan Duminuco

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