Talking to Dinosaurs with Paramount's Troy Osborn

Troy Osborn joined Paramount Plastics as its CNC programmer just over a year ago, and he hasn’t stopped learning since. Growing up in Elkhart, Indiana, the RV capital of the world, Troy assumed he’d follow his grandpas into the RV industry. Instead, a winding path that included pushing carts at Menards led him to a screw machine shop, where his big break came from yelling the answer to a training question from across the shop floor. Troy shares how that moment turned into a crash course in CNC programming, machining certificates from Ivy Tech, and eventually a leap of faith on Paramount’s 1980s-era five-axis routers. They also discuss what he’s learned from Paramount’s resident “Wizard” and how joining the ESOP committee changed his view of what employee ownership can mean. Plus, hear how one simple request for a quieter workspace helped shift the culture on the floor. Troy’s advice for fellow employee owners? If you see something, say something. Edited by Mateusz Złakowski