Since it launched in 1985, ADJ has experienced rapid growth and phenomenal success. While excellent products and great customer services are undoubtedly the keys to this accomplishment, those things wouldn’t have been possible without great people. The company’s dedicated and close-knit community of skilled, experienced, and passionate women and men all share the common goal of designing, manufacturing, selling, and supporting the best mid-market entertainment lighting, LED video, and atmospheric effects equipment possible. Each installment in this series of short interviews shines a spotlight on one individual from the team, giving an insight into who they are, what they do, and how they care for ADJ customers on a daily basis. This time we meet one of ADJ’s longest serving employees, Ferreol Vidana, as he prepares to retire after 35 years of continuous loyal service.
When did you join the ADJ team?
My first day working for the company was September 16th 1988. A lot has changed, both in the world and within ADJ, since then but the company still has the same family feel that it had way back in the late ‘80s.
How did you find out that there was a job available at ADJ in 1988?
Toby’s [Velazquez, now the company’s President, who began working for ADJ founder Chuck Davies as a young man] mother, who is related to my family through marriage, let me know that the company he worked for was looking to hire someone and I was looking for a job. I didn’t know then that I’d never start another new job for the rest of my life!
What roles have you undertaken over the last 35 years?
I started out working on an assembly line putting together lighting fixtures, which I did for the first ten years. I then moved over to packing orders and that’s still what I do today. So, if you have bought something from ADJ over the past quarter of a century – from pinspot helicopters to the latest moving heads – it’s very likely that I may have been involved with processing or packing your order!
What has made you stay at the company for 35 years?
From the very beginning, I have enjoyed every day working at ADJ, so I never even considered looking for a job somewhere else. I like the working environment and Toby makes us all feel very comfortable. I think that’s why it’s not usual for people to join the company and then never leave!
What hobbies / interests do you have outside work?
I like going out to the mountains camping and spending time with my family; I have four grownup children – two men and two women. I also enjoy carpentry and DIY. I made a porch at home and even turned my garage into an extra living space with its own bathroom. I also enjoy watching baseball and am a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What do you plan to do when you retire?
I’m looking forward to spending more time camping in the mountains and with my family as well as having more time for my carpentry. I’m also looking forward to being able to visit Mexico a little more often, as that’s where my mother, who is 98 years old, as well as my brother and sisters and their families live.
When will be your last day at work?
My last day at ADJ will be on Friday, September 29, 2023. After that I will be officially retired, and my duties will be passed to others on my team. Over recent years I’ve tried to be a good role model for new guys coming into the company; I make them feel welcome and show them the way I do things. Sometimes they follow my lead, sometimes they work out their own way of doing things, but that’s ok too, as long as the work gets done well and we all get along together.
