Talent Pipeline & Labor Market¶
Current Workforce Stability¶
- Total employees: ~12
- Turnover rate: ~20% overall (Source: Thomas's DD)
- Turnover profile: Mainly lower-level shop laborers. Minimal turnover among machinists.
- Key retention: Mike, Salina, Sean, James appear stable (see people/org-chart)
Training & Pipeline¶
- Apprenticeship program: Pairs new hires with experienced journeymen (Source: Thomas's DD)
- Santa Fe Community College (SFCC): Provides machinist training programs. Local pipeline source.
- On-the-job training: Expected for NQA-1 and ITAR-specific procedures
Local Labor Market Challenges¶
- LANL competition: Los Alamos National Lab is the dominant employer and competes directly for machinists, welders, and QA personnel
- Housing shortages: Los Alamos has historically had limited housing, making recruitment harder
- Housing expansion: 1,600+ new housing units planned, which should ease the crunch (Source: Thomas's DD)
- Remote location: Los Alamos is not a major metro — limits the available labor pool
Competitors for Talent¶
Per company/competitors, local shops (Hand Precision, Yeamans) and Albuquerque shops (Bogue, Sun Country, Continental) all draw from the same machinist pool.
Post-Acquisition Considerations¶
- Retention bonuses may be needed for key employees during ownership transition (see people/owner-dependency)
- Pay adjustment — current machinists at $20-27/hr vs. $35/hr market ceiling (see people/compensation)
- AI automation potential for admin tasks could reduce need for additional hires during scale-up
Open Questions¶
| # | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Current state of talent pipeline, SFCC programs, apprenticeships? | ⚠️ |
| 16 | Who might leave if sale occurs? | ❌ |
| 17 | Upcoming retirements? | ❌ |