Meet Our People
As a thriving company in a global marketplace, Merix has many opportunities for people with diverse talents and backgrounds. The common requirement across all careers is a willingness to work hard, to work together, and to grow—both as individuals and as an organization.
Read what a few of our valued employees have to say about the challenges and pleasures of working at Merix:
Howard Jones, Director of Oregon Operations
Joined Merix in October of 2003
1. What do you like best about working at Merix?
"What I enjoy most is interacting with people across all the different levels of the organization. I get to work with executives, engineers, operators—pretty much everyone. You just don’t get that kind of community and openness in a big company."
2. What is your source of inspiration?
"I’m having a real impact in turning a successful small company into an even more successful big one. I’ve seen other companies blossom, and now I get to help drive that process and be a part of it."
3. What is the most challenging part of your job?
"This is a complex, global industry, and my biggest challenge is in trying to simplify that complexity, so we can make decisions that are clear and concise and take us in the direction we want to go. That means creating processes that are standardized, efficient and easy for everyone to work with, yet flexible enough to adapt to changing technologies and diverse relationships. We want to have basic, proven methodologies we can extend easily as we grow."
4. What advice do you have for people who are interested in working at Merix?
"This is a great place to work, with a lot of flexibility and opportunity for people who are motivated. It’s important to be a self-starter, though, with the drive to affect change and a willingness to embrace the challenges of the unknown."
Rick Hinkle, Sr. Director of Engineering
Joined Merix in October of 2003
1. What do you like best about working at Merix?
"That’s easy. I’m a big people person, and I truly love the camaraderie and the openness in this company. Everybody talks with everybody, and I’ve found I can really trust folks to be sincere. I influence people, they influence me, and we all contribute to building better products."
2. What is your source of inspiration?
"I like building something that other people can’t, and I enjoy figuring out the technology in each circuit board. We build a lot of different products. I might be working on a pacemaker one day, a defense product the next, and a part for an educational product the day after that. I like that we make all those different things. Our customers need something, and we make it happen."
3. What is the most challenging part of your job?
"We build so many different products that just making sure everything is in order when you build a circuit board can be challenging. Whenever we build a new board, we sit down and go through all the things you can and can’t do. Sometimes the technology is so far out we need to figure things out as we go, try new options and see what works. It’s challenging, but it’s interesting, too."
4. What advice do you have for people who are interested in working at Merix?
"If you love technology, you’ll love it here. I don’t mean just thinking about technology. I mean touching it, feeling it and working with it. You also have to be willing to get out on the floor and talk with people. I guess the most important thing, though, is you’ve got to own whatever it is that’s your responsibility. Enjoy the challenges and come up with solutions. Be a bulldog and figure it out. If you bring that kind of attitude to work every day, you’ll do great here."
Suman Prasad, Manufacturing
Joined Merix in September of 2006
1. What do you like best about working at Merix?
"To me, the best thing is the four day work week with three days off. I like the people I work with, too. We help each other out, and everybody has an opportunity to grow to the next level."
2. What is your source of inspiration?
"There’s a lot of work to do here, but there’s not a lot of pressure. The people are good and there’s no one telling you what to do. They let you take ownership of your own job. All you have to do is just get on with it and do what needs to be done. That’s relaxing for me, and it motivates me too."
3. What is the most challenging part of your job?
"I know what to do and I do it well. My job isn’t really all that hard."
4. What advice do you have for people who are interested in working at Merix?
"If you have a chance to work here, take it. This is a good place to work. They welcome you when you first come, they train you well, and they give you a chance to grow."