139 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 10 ASTRO MACHINE WORKS We recently spoke with Astro Machine Works President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Blow (one of its four original owners from 1984), Commercial Sales Team Manager Brian Hess, and Human Resources Manager Charissa Gift. Speaking from the company’s 72,000-squarefoot headquarters in the eastern reaches of the Keystone State, they told us more about the company. Blow, along with Astro’s Private Equity Partners, was also instrumental in spearheading the company into the ESOP (or employee stock ownership plan) model it successfully enjoys today. ESOP’s are increasingly popular with many companies these days. It was a natural transition to an ESOP model for the CEO of an already successful operation and a reflection of his passion for the business. “I love what I do,” he says. “I love the people I work with, but nonetheless, we’re all going to retire at some point. Basically, I wanted
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