South Bay machinist looks to bounce back after pandemic slowdown
Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Area high school students, a two-week intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph real stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact countless businesses, and small ones like 41-year-old Minh Ho’s machine shop in Sunnyvale have been especially vulnerable. Faced with rising prices in materials and fewer customers, Ho chooses to persist with what he can do and control: putting his best efforts into every project.
“Last year was slow,” Ho said. “I didn’t have a lot of jobs to do and I worked fewer hours.”
In 2020, when the lockdown was first implemented, Ho and his team had about a 55% decrease in orders.
In addition to being less busy, they had to take extra precautions to ensure everyone’s health and safety. They wore masks while working and disinfected their workplace every hour and 10 minutes before they went home.
The numerous changes in their daily work life increased Ho’s worries about his shop’s uncertain future. He also felt a lot of pressure because it was only his third year in business.
Four years ago, Ho opened ProAxis Manufacturing after his previous employer had trained him on setup and program. He named his shop after a manufacturing machine’s x,y, and z-axis. Ho’s love for the machine industry began when his friend’s dad would make toys for him back in Vietnam.
“I really like machines and making parts,” Ho said.
His journey started when he moved from Vietnam to the United States in the 10th grade and graduated from Independence High School. He went on to attend San Jose City College and learned there how to use machines.
Currently, Ho programs customers’ instructions into software which later gets put into a machine to create the desired parts.
In a dimly lit room where the low hum of the machines and the clanging sounds of the tools against metal can be heard, Ho and his employees program, weld, assemble parts, and set up machines.
Recently, Ho finally has become busier than last year with more orders coming in. However, the pandemic’s ongoing impact and unpredictability don’t allow him to sit comfortably.
Now he faces a delay in the shipping of materials and their rising prices. Ho continues to charge customers what he charged before the pandemic, so he is absorbing those added costs.
Despite these setbacks, Ho said he is hopeful that his hard work will pay off in the end. He remembers the obstacles he encountered trying to get a shop running on his own and completing difficult projects to satisfy his customers. He plans to move to a bigger place with 20 machines and provide opportunities for people who want to get into the industry.
“You have to plan ahead and build credit and you have to have some cash flow by saving money and working hard,” he said.
Theresa Nguyen is a rising senior at Oak Grove High School.