WAYNE HALE
Wayne Hale began his career at McCann Machining Company on
July 23, 1971, soon a er returning from his service in Vietnam as
part of the 11th Calvary Regiment. He was only 21 years old. Hale
fondly remembers the very first machine he worked on, a
Bridgeport mill. “You know, I s ll have that first part I worked on.
It didn’t pass inspec on”, he recalls. Hale started out at McCann
as a machine operator while a ending night classes at Athens
Tech under the G.I. Bill to earn his degree in Machine Tool
Technology.
“When I first started there were only 6 of us. Now we have over
200 employees. Over the years there have been so many changes.
The machines used to be hand cranked and now everything is
powered. Our designs were created on drawing boards with a
pencil and a scale ruler. We didn’t even have calculators. Now we
have computers that do it all.”
When asked why he has been with McCann for 44 years, he
jokingly said, “It’s the insurance. No, really all the changes I have
seen over the years has been exci ng. The job foreman that hired
me told me, ‘If you want a skill you can learn and make something
you are proud of then you should work here.’ And it’s true. If you
see an airplane flying overhead there is a McCann part on there
somewhere and I helped make it. It is not an easy job because
there is a lot of responsibility. If somebody’s carburetor on their
car breaks down the car just stops. An airplane has a bit bigger
problem if something malfunc ons. But I can honestly say that I
have never shipped a part out where I wouldn’t be willing to fly on
that airplane.”
Hale shared that he has plans to re re eventually, but not any me
too soon.
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Wayne Hall poses with the Bridgeport mill which was the first machine he worked
on at McCann Machining Company 44 years ago.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT www.AthensBusiness.org 706-613-3233
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