Terry Hock was born and raised in Shippensburg, right next to the Volvo CE plant, where he has worked as painters prep for over 30 years.
What are the main challenges in your job?
“Being able to meet my rates every day and being safe about it too – that is the key. We want to give the assembly department a real good product. We do what we can to meet our goals. It is also important to do it right and make it right the first time.”
Which impact do new technologies have on your job?
“We’ve gone from moving everything by hand to an automated line overhead. It’s a lot better today than it was years ago. Before, we were moving so much stuff all the time, from one place to the next, now everything is automated and overhead. It’s really nice.”
What do you like most about your job?
“The people I work with – they’re a good group. Everyone is friendly and helps each other out. The manager often comes around, shakes everyone’s hand and lets them know what a good job they’re doing. Safety is also very important, and management is always making sure we look after ourselves when we work.” I
Which of the Volvo Group values means the most to you?
“Customer success. That’s where it all starts. If you provide a quality product, sales will go up and the customer will come back for your product.”
What do you do when you’re not working?
“I collect toy farm tractors. I grew up right behind the plant, beside a dairy farm. As a young teen, I could drive their tractors, so I took an interest in collecting toy models. At one time, I had close to 1,800 pieces, but my wife and I decided they were taking up too much room. So now I’m downsizing and I’m selling more than I’m buying.