Paul Skala:
CLASS OF 1965
Garfield Heights High SchoolClass of 1965
Garfield heights, OH
Paul's Story
What I have Done!
OK, boys and girls since we will not have a reunion this year, I write this to let you know what I have been doing since graduation.
I worked an amazing varieties of jobs while attending Tri-C and latter in life.
Starting with an electrical / retail lighting store (Industrial Electric) there I was a stock boy then later the the shipping clerk. Then I worked for a trucking firm, I was a drivers helper delivering and setting up appliances washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators TV’s etc, Then I worked retail at an Uncle Bills store on Brookpark and W.130th after 8 Months I was promoted and given my own small appliance department to run in Mayfield Hts. (The Golden Gate Store) Moved on to a place in Garfield Hts. Film-craft on the Blvd, some of you may remember it, they developed and printed black and white film for places like Rexall Drugs Giant Tigers, Uncle bills and did a lot of Commercial work. I also worked for RCA fixing TVs, Ohio Nuclear (forerunner of TechniCare).
All during this time my friends George Stage and Larry Goga class of 64 and I had started our own business We had been doing recordings for many local schools choir and bands. We rented a building on the corner of Rexwood and E.131 street. Turned it into a studio, equipped it with amps speakers, mics. We were at that time, the only solid state recording studio in Cleveland. We also designed and built our own mixing board 12 in 4 out. With 2 stereo recorders and One 4 channel ½ inch Ampex we started doing some of the local artist like Paul Fairweather, The Choir. Donnie Iris, the Black Flag of Anarchy and Ironclad Pillow Case and many more.
I snared a job with the organization that was putting in the Blossom Music Center. What a cool deal; I learned how all the pros did things, this was an eyeopener I sold out my share of the studio and became a professional. With my new job I had access to all the shows At Blossom. Met a lot of Famous people there.
That organization (Daniel N. Flickenger and Associates) was building and equipped recording studios all across the country, Six months after joining them (1969) I was In Nashville Tn. I was there too Installing a new mixing board at Monument Studios. The very first shakedown sessions was with a newcomer, a songwriter that not too many people knew Kris Kristofferson and he debuted a new song “Me and Bobby McGee”. Great session, great players board had a couple of bugs to work out. I was back in a week to appply a fix.
This brings us up to 1969, I continue to be the lead guy on all of our installations I had also met my wife to be we married in 1970 in early 1971 we moved to Nashville as I had a great offer at Glaser Bros Studio. My Daughter Eyrika was born January 1973 and yes that is how her name is spelled.
I also worked at Cinderella Sound I recorded my first gold record there, someone almost no one knows here in the states his name was Eddy Micheal. He was France's Elvis. I also recorded and mix the Whiskey album by the Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie was one really nice guy.
We returned to Ohio in late 75 when I took a position as Audio maintenance supervisor at Rex Hubbard's Cathedral of Tomorrow. My wife was not happy be away from her family. My son Jason was born in 1976 here in Ohio. After a couple of years at that I took an offer in Cincinnati Ohio as chief engineer of the Artist Recording Studio and Record Pressing Plant. I also learned too cut the masters that are used to make the plates that stamp out vinyl records. During the time is was there I was also working with another Engineer to design a new mixing board for his studio. We built 3 of these 2 for him and 1 for artist
This brings us to late 1979 when I secured a position as a draftsman and circuit board designer ...Expand for more
for a company in Twinsburg Oh . This company ITI (Inspection Technology Inc.) was a launching point for me , I rose from draftsman to junior engineer, then engineer, Senior engineer and Project manager. I also stared traveling internationally my first jaunt was to Sendai Japan not far from the reactors that messed up that area so bad during the tsunami. ITI was a non-destructive inspection machinery maker of X-ray inspection machines. We also built and sold some of the first machines that used cameras to snap a picture of parts and used crude early computers to determine if that part was good or bad.
I stayed with that company until 1988 it had been bought by Penn Video a manufacture of low light level cameras that we used in our X-ray Inspection equipment. While there I learned assembly language, PLC programming, how to fly a glider (Blanik L-13) and light planes like the piper Cherokee, Tomahawk and Seneca. Also supervised installs in France and Germany of our x-ray products and Some of our newest video inspection systems in Tennessee and Sandusky Ohio.
Mid 1988 I left Penn Video for a startup G. R. Potts and Associates. this was a departure from the video and x-ray business, this was precision measurements of tires (part of GM s search for rounder tires). The equipment we developed used strain gauges to measure forces produced in a tire and imparted to the chassis, this lasted about 2 years when a downturn in the tire market killed our contracts
So in1990 I joined Pressco Technology in Solon and stayed there until 2001. My first job there was as a test engineer as they were having a 90% failure rate in the field usually caused by poor workmanship by third party contractors. I studied how things were done and submitted my report which ticked of a few department heads. So I was given the task of setting up a QC department I did not want to run it ! QC is very boring, but necessary within 9 months field failures where down to < 10 % after a year < 5%. The field service engineers could have a system up and running in 3 days. Pressco became the leader in beverage can inspection. While there I developed a method to install strain gauges into a multi stage metal pressing die. This was my first idea that was patented, of course I got a plaque and a hundred bucks whoopee! As I look back there were a bunch of things that could have been patented but we didn’t think anyone would care.
Its 2001 and a lot of manufacturing took a hit and so did I. Pressco downsized from over 220 employees to about 97 in three layoffs . I was let go in the last round with a severance package that wasn’t too bad. As every thing was contracting right after 911 I wound out as a temp worker for American Greetings, A startup out of Ann Arbor, Rockwell Automation Intelligent Sensing And Ericsson Safety Equipment.
I also did some fun stuff like learning all about the Sieberling Home In North Akron AKA Stan Hyett Hall and Gardens, a friend said lets become tour guides so we did and I liked it. So as I had time on my hands I passed the Docent tests and became a volunteer guide. My friend to took a couple of months before she became a guide. I became a paid guide. It was OK. I worked weekends.
I have always liked good wine, and Stan Hywet had a wine Tasting Program. I volunteered for take and the next year I was the co-chair of it. What a learning experience that was wine distributors have some awesome reps working for them. So I learned even more that was a great perk for me. I did that six years. Then My new full time job took me to Eastlake Ohio , I didn’t fancy driving to Akron three or four times per week. I retired in 2009. If there are any oenophiles out there let me tell you there are a couple of really good Vineyards here in Ohio with California quality.
Paul
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