• TCHO is
• Operating Heuristics
• Jobs
• Staff Bios
• Staff Interviews
  • Matt Heckert
  • Shiaosan Williams
  • Larry Del Santo
  • Emi Takahara
  • Jeremy Wanamaker
  • Laurel Collier
  • Nina Luttinger
  • Grace K. Erickson
  • Robert Kopf
  • Brad Kintzer
  • Patrick Haynes
• F.A.Q.

Staff Interviews

Five questions for Matt

1. What's the hardest part of your job?
At this time keeping the laboratory grinders working properly. The laboratory is very important, crucial in fact, to TCHO's flavor development strategy. One of the keys is to have a process in the lab which emulates the process in the factory. This allows us to scale what was accomplished in the lab to larger batch sizes. Brad, Zohara and Shiao are always working on new grinds, temperature profiles and component blends which strains the equipment and keeps us all busy.

2. What's the best part of your job?
All the great people I get to work with. They are smart, funny and innovative. The people here have a range of experience and varied backgrounds which help to keep it interesting.

3. What is the difference between working at TCHO over another company you have worked for?
That's a bit difficult to answer as I have been self employed my whole life until I took on this project. I have designed machinery for industrial process prior to this in my own machine shop and survived as a performing artist for stretches. This is my first time in food manufacturing and working in a building over the water. !

4. If a reader could step into your job for one day, what would surprise them the most?
The variety of things I deal with daily from permits, to considering future projects, analyzing processes, managing personnel, purchasing, drafting, maintenance and repairs. This variety is also one of the things I like best about my job, it allows me to use more of my skill set.

5. What is your secret skill, since everyone at TCHO has one?
I can play the guitar.