Brandon O’Hanlan has been at EGR for almost 11 years. His diverse background and ability to pick up new skills quickly has benefitted him greatly at EGR. As Machining Lead, Brandon has to be alert and ready to tackle any problems. He’s a man of action and knows how to get the job done.
How’d you get your start?
I had worked for seven years in a health food and supplement store back when there were only about three in the city. Now you can’t throw a rock without hitting one. I wanted out of retail, so I decided to learn a little bit about cabinetry. I was hired by EGR initially as a delivery truck driver, then built countertops for a little while, and within my first six months I was put to work on a CNC router.
Describe your day to day role:
I’m a troubleshooter and facilitator, as well as an operator and general maintenance guy.
What has been your favorite project to date and why?
I was very happy to be able to work on the project of rebuilding the two Moore schools that were destroyed by the 2013 tornado.
What is your biggest challenge on any given job?
Maintaining flexibility. We have to stay agile to put out the small fires that always flare up along the way. Not literal fires, of course, but there have been one or two of those over the years.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Well, building small fires. What I mean is that I like camping, hiking and being outdoors in general. I like seeing the flora and fauna and all that. I also like to frequent the museums we have here in the city, and one or two in Norman.
What’s the most gratifying part of the job?
By having the opportunity to work with a wide range of machines, I learn something almost every day. I enjoy getting my hands dirty and working with the machines. On good days, I even appear to really know what I’m doing. It feels good to get a machine up and running again.
Favorite style of design:
Either Art Deco or Mid-Century Modern.
Favorite restaurant in OKC:
Right now, they’re all closed. Probably Sheesh Mahal on May Avenue.
Nickname:
My middle name is Lee. I messed up and let this get out, not thinking. A lot of guys get a kick out of calling me “Brandon Lee”.
What’s your party trick?
I have no comment.
One word that best describes EGR:
Community.