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Bjorn Matz, our very own in house transit historian, hoarder in chief (anyone need a telephone from 1980 or perhaps a microphone only used on one station on the entire NYCTA system circa 1960?) ultimate problem solver, and known to us as Comanche, is our Resident Professor at team MJK.
Keeping up the pace of MKJ’s growth would not be possible without someone teaching the Millennials the MKJ way – as they hang on his every word.
Anyone in the “transit know” speaks highly of him so we wanted to make sure that you too had a chance to meet the electrical engineer extraordinaire behind many of the incredible projects we’ve done.
To celebrate Bjorn’s 12th official year with MKJ and his 40th anniversary of working in the exasperating (the good kind) world of systems integration, we not only asked him a few questions, but learned more about him from his coworkers.
Bjorn, you’ve had a long and impressive career – what are the biggest changes in systems integration (transit or otherwise) that you’ve seen?
The biggest changes have been in the technology of the equipment, which has made the systems more reliable. This includes the products we install as well as the test equipment. The technology allows for remote monitoring and often allows remote system repair. This means fewer service calls, less delay in a technician attending to a service call, and fewer and shorter interruptions for our clients.
When I started my engineering career, all of the equipment was analog and now virtually all of the equipment is digital. The various pre-manufactured products we assemble into systems used to require a rat’s nest of wiring and cabling to create a complete system. Now, most of the equipment hooks together with a few Ethernet or Fiber cables.
There’s a rumor that you’re a hoarder of every important bell or whistle; that somewhere in some drawer or closet you have an antiquated knob that is no longer made and saves the day on a project- is it just a rumor?
I can’t say I have a replacement part for every telephone, but I am a hoarder! I started my system integration career designing on-board equipment for the New York City Transit subway cars and for other railroads around the country. I’ve designed approximately 350 “black boxes” for subway cars, commuter cars, and light-rail vehicles, and I still have many of the prototypes. That’s where the rumor started.
(We still contend that he does have every spare part known to Transit… and if he doesn’t it is because I threw it out when he wasn’t looking).
What is your favorite part of your job?
My love is engineering. I like to design the products and systems we put together and to troubleshoot any problems that might come up in a design.
Side note: “Bjorn is the only person that doesn’t listen to the one MKJ rule that you’re not allowed to say “NO” to a client. He’ll say, “it’s just impossible, it cannot be done, there’s no way– yet because he never, ever stops working and loves to solve design and system issues, he then always, always, always figures it out.”
What do you see in the future of systems integration and how it will change for societal needs, such as the introduction of fever cameras to detect temp due to Covid-19?
I’ve worked in the biomedical field, so I’m very aware that there are tremendous opportunities for companies in that field, and a company like ours must be willing to change as our customers’ needs change. As we have in the past, I believe strongly that MKJ will meet our customer’s needs by addressing any new challenges that arise. As the technologies we use mature, I see future systems getting even smarter and more integrated, such as the temperature cameras we’re currently offering. I’m confident that we’ll be able to handle more sophisticated needs with less equipment and even less systems’ assembly.
What’s the best part of working at MKJ?
The terrific people who work at MKJ make working here fun – not a chore. Our fearless leader, Jennifer, is a wonderful human being and a great example of what a boss should be. She always has the staff in mind, and does things to keep us happy and focused – that’s how MKJ is grooming the next generation of smart engineers and us “MKJ originals” take such pride in their outcomes as they move up the ladder.
Many of those terrific people think that you’re pretty terrific too! Here’s just a snippet:
Evelina: Bjorn has a way to instill confidence in you to do your best, whether you’re assembling your first submittals in your first week or he’s letting you “fly” his twin-engine Comanche, land and take off, just to see if you’re a Russian spy or not. He has a great sense of humor and is always there to share his knowledge of everything.
Neil: Don’t forget his Ph.D.!
Jennifer: He’s the one person that enjoys walking every row at a convention. He will actually use every giveaway pen, flashlight, beer koozie, or lanyard. Bjorn was the origin of the junk food pantry for MKJ – he had the best bottom drawer stash EVER, oreo and peanut central!
Lou: Bjorn is always the funniest person in the office.
Savni: Bjorn can help you out with anything. He was my first mentor and taught me all the aspects of a project. It’s impossible to forget anything he teaches you – in my case, it’s been everything from using chopsticks and eating my 1st lobster to heat load calculations and speaker impedance calculations. The amazing thing is that he’s also a very enthusiastic learner. If he sees me do something different in CAD or using a new method, he wants to learn it and start using it too.
What’s your most memorable project?
It was for NYC Transit, installing new 36-strand Fiber Optic cables on the wayside at Avenue H on the Brighton Line. There were multiple obstacles on that job that I had never encountered. The cables we were installing had to splice into old cables. Some of the cables were in manholes and covered with a few feet of water. Getting the old cables out and identifying them was a real problem that took a lot of time to sort out. Making a mistake in identifying a cable was not an option.
I’d be here all day sharing the other issues we had on this project, but the unexpected outcome for all of these disasters was that Team MKJ finished our job successfully, just like every other one.
And last but not least, you’re a little bit of a daredevil?
Yes, I love to fly, and I have a Piper Twin Comanche that’s a serious machine for going places, and I’ve taken many vacations with it. I have used the plane for business also; it’s a means of getting to appointments and getting home the same day, without the hassle of relying on airline schedules.
If you’ve never worked with Bjorn you now know that he can not only solve any problem that may arise on your job site, but he can also give you a lift and beat the traffic! Yes, our employees are pretty amazing on and off the job site!
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