Our Spotlight on Super series highlights the SRC team members who help keep SRC a great a place to work and grow. For this installment, we sat down with Mike Kurki, a 50-year SRC employee who currently holds the title of coil brazer at SRC’s Chaska, Minnesota Division. Mike also holds the title of longest-tenured active employee at any SRC Division.
Q: First off, where are you from? Where’s home?
MK: I was born in Duluth, Minnesota and lived in Cloquet until about 6th grade, then after 6th grade my folks moved onto Woodbury, Minnesota, right near Saint Paul. I’ve been in Minnesota all my life.
Q: What’s your title at SRC?
MK: I’m a coil brazer. I’ve been doing it for many years and I enjoy what I do.
Q: Have you held any other roles during your time with SRC?
MK: Yeah, I’ve moved around quite a bit. Back when I started, I’d say we all did a little bit of everything – I even used to sweep the floors! I worked in assembly for a few years, then I went to second shift and worked the testing department for about six years. After that I got back on the day shift and worked on the expander for a while, then I moved over to the punch press and worked on those for a few years. After that I ended up in coil brazing and I’ve been brazing coils since about 1991.
Q: How did you come to work at SRC? What’s the story there?
MK: Well, I’d been laid off by my previous job and was looking at job boards here and there and I saw a listing for Super Radiator Coils and figured I’d fill out an application. That’s really about it. I started at SRC in 1974. I was 20 years old. I think there were about 16 of us on the floor back then and it was a really interesting place to work. We were all a bunch of characters – but we always got the coils out. And I was the youngest guy, so they had me doing all the tough stuff, but that’s how it goes, right? We worked well as a team, and even though some days we were like cats and dogs, we all pitched in.
Q: How have you seen the company change since you came on board?
MK: Well, the company changed hands twice during my time here, but since the Holts bought the company in the mid-80s, the biggest thing that stands out to me is just the growth. After Jon (Holt) bought the company, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I remember seeing him and his wife walking through the shop and meeting him for the first time and he seemed like a good man, and you could tell this company meant a lot to him.
But a little while after Jon took over, you started to see new machinery come in and that felt great. And then I remember Jon bought the Phoenix location in the early 90s and from then on, the company has just grown and grown and grown. It’s really something. For me, its been a dream to watch it grow.
Q: What is something about working here that you would want to tell someone considering a career at SRC?
MK: I tell people all the time about how great the company I work for is. The biggest thing is that the Holts are just good people. They’re truthful and they’re good and I think that’s why the company’s doing so well now is because of the Holts themselves. If you’re thinking about working for SRC, I can tell you it’s a place where you’ll be treated fairly. And when things get crazy out in the shop, I just try to remember that I’m working for a company that cares about me, and it really makes you want to do a good job. That’s definitely not the case everywhere, and I think it’s a big part of what makes this place special.
I’m getting to be an old man now, so it won’t be too long before I’m talking about this place in the past tense, so that’s definitely coming, but I’ve enjoyed my time here.
Q: What about when you’re not at work? How do you like to spend your time?
MK: I do a little bit of catfishing and I’ve got a little bit of property up north. That’s my real hobby. I go up there and I relax. I like going up there and listening to the wind, just enjoying being out there. It’s an old cabin with a steam bath. It’s a simple life and I really enjoy it. And I’ll hunt deer there in the fall too. I’ve also got three beautiful kids who are grown now and one grandson too.
If you’d like to know more about working at SRC, be sure to stop by our Careers Homepage to learn more about who we are, what we make, and where we work. And stop by our job listings page to see our open positions. Manufacturing experience is preferred, but not required. If you’ve got a positive attitude and a good work ethic, we’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading.
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