The Work Behind The Beauty

Many times, we go through life with our personal routine and general expectations.  If we need something to eat, we can go to the market, if we need clothes, we can buy clothes at a store.  We expect whatever we need to be there when we need it. Even for large purchases such as a home, car, or those of you who are lucky enough, an Airstream trailer.

There are stories everywhere.  Farmers dedicate their lives to work on a crop so you are able to go to a store and purchase instantly what you are hungry for.  Many times, you don't think about where the crop was grown, who grew it, how it got to the store, packaged and now, in your hands.

I was lucky enough to take a tour of the Airstream factory to see how each trailer is made.  They are all made by hand from dedicated workers and in some cases, generations of workers who spend their life building these beautiful silver trailers.  Each rivet is drilled in by hand as well as the insulation, woodwork, electric, paneling, and they even have people sewing on the spot.  As the tour group was taken through the factory, we were greeted by smiles briefly, then it was back to work.

Since the men and women on the team are on a time schedule, I couldn't talk to them on the tour, but I did briefly when they came out for a break during the day.  All were very polite and answered all of my questions about their work.

I was lucky enough to gain access to the rooftop to take some photographs and was escorted by Darrell.  He's been working at Airstream for eleven years and is an Ohio native.  A very sweet spoken man, he agreed to have me take his photograph on the roof top.

Being a witness to how much work goes into the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the vehicles you drive and even trailers you sleep in will give you a better appreciation for what you are paying for and the people who dedicate their lives to helping make yours a better one.