Like Father, Like Son

The term “work family” gets thrown around a lot these days. It’s something we embrace here at OnQ, too – after all, we spend a lot of time together. We work hard, knock heads once in a while, but in the end we accomplish more together than we ever would apart. And we always have each others’ backs…much like a family.

No doubt we celebrate our work family in the figurative sense, but we also celebrate it literally. Why? We have a number of family connections both in our Ohio and California facilities. Take Curtis Acosta, for example. He joined OnQ about seven years ago to help build out our prototyping capabilities. Now he runs our protoshop, turning out a steady flow of prototypes, many of which make their way into finished displays found in stores around the world.

Several years ago, Curtis started bringing his son Maxx into the shop to give him a taste of what his job entailed. Those occasional visits sparked an interest that developed over time and ultimately led to Maxx working at OnQ, supporting various elements of production and pack-out.

“I spent the first part of my career designing armor for vehicles and military aircraft. Not only could I not bring Maxx into the office to see what I did, I couldn’t even talk to him about what my job was all about. So it was pretty great when I realized I could involve him in my career here at OnQ. Early on, it was about us spending more time together, but it’s evolved into giving him some great work experience that will serve him well as he builds his career.”

Working alongside Maxx is a full-circle moment for Curtis, who spent a good chunk of his childhood in his dad’s shop where he designed and fabricated hot rods. Working alongside his dad at an early age meant Curtis got comfortable fabricating metals and composites using tools and techniques that most people aren’t exposed to until they enter trade school or start an apprenticeship in a shop. Not only did he hone his skills earlier than most, but he also took pride in knowing that the work he did in his dad’s shop helped turn out custom cars that would go on to win awards and races at some of the most well-known car shows and events.

“When you’re part of a team, it’s important to know how your contribution plays a part in the larger success of the team. I saw that when I was a kid helping my dad build show cars, and it’s pretty cool to be giving my son that same experience here at OnQ. Just the other day, we were shopping at Costco and as we browsed around the store, I could see Maxx start to make that connection. He’d walk around and say ‘hey Dad, here’s that display I helped pack out last summer.’ He was grinning ear-to-ear. I think it was the first time he realized how the work he does manifests itself in the real world. For Maxx to have that experience at all is just amazing, but for me to work alongside him while he’s having that experience is just priceless.”