TechFocus Member Spotlight: Paragon Space Development Corporation
In this episode of TechFocus, listen to Grant Anderson, President and CEO of Paragon Space Development, talk about best practices in running a successful business and retaining your top talent. As Paragon celebrates 26 years of providing award-winning life support and thermal control solutions for extreme environments, the company recognizes that it is the employees that keeps the business thriving.
Paragon is a leader in the field of life support in extreme environments. Anderson and his team have led the systems and conceptual designs of multiple spacecraft under contract with companies such as Lockheed Martin, NASA, Inspiration Mars Foundation, and others.
Primarily Paragon develops complex systems that are used in space, from human space flight to Boeing and Space X vehicles. The company is also growing its terrestrial” side, which includes environmental controls for military equipment and electrical controls.
“The U.S. wants to get to Mars. Everything that’s required to get to Mars exists such as the rockets, avionics systems, and guidance systems,” Anderson explains. “The one thing that doesn’t exist and where there’s a need to fulfill is the life support systems. We’re working on the designs for those life support systems so that people can get to the moon first and then to get Mars. The system has to work for years on end and not fail.”
“We do really cool stuff,” says Anderson. “What makes me proud is the people and enabling others to do a good job. We have the culture and tools necessary for people to go out and achieve great things, whether it’s one or two people working on a small program or big programs like going to the moon.”
Anderson attributes Paragon’s success to its creative and productive employees. The company encourages growth and a happy work-life balance. “Our company culture is ‘Family’ and the job of management is to facilitate other people to achieve great things. No one will feel invested if it’s ‘just another paycheck’.”
Listen to this podcast to learn more about Paragon, hear Anderson’s advice to retain a strong workforce and what’s in store for the company’s future.
