There are probably only a handful of people in the world, if even that many, who’ve gone from a job deboning beef to installing security systems. H&S Protection’s Russ Zanow is one of them.
He never considered the change until faced with Cargill closing down its operations in the Milwaukee area, which eliminated his job about six years ago. Needing a job, encouraged by his mother and knowing H&S’s Danny Greco, who urged him to apply, Russ stopped by the H&S offices in Pewaukee, WI to meet with Operations Manager Mike Solomon.
“I filled out an application, and they gave me a call, and I came in for the interview,” Russ explained.
It’s different from working in a beef processing plant, that’s for sure. When Russ was at Cargill, he could eat anything he wanted. “It was physical, demanding work, and I burned a LOT of calories every day, so I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight. It was a fun job. You got to meet people from all walks of life,” he said.
At H&S, Zanow continues to get exercise in his position as a security systems installer, up and down ladders, crawling through tight spaces and hauling equipment. He also continues to meet people from all walks of life as his assignments take him to many different types of businesses throughout Southeast Wisconsin.
“The bulk of my day is troubleshooting and installing low voltage electronics. Finding out what works, what doesn’t and troubleshooting and fixing what needs fixing,” he said.
When Russ leaves a site, he makes sure the customer is pleased with the system and cleanup. “It’s very important when you leave that the site is as clean as when you arrived,” he said.
“H&S does really good work. We’re thorough, and though we’re not the biggest company, we are very customer-oriented. Nancy DeSandre makes it her problem if a customer has an issue. She’ll get one of our technicians out to help the customer quickly. H&S cares, and our people are knowledgeable on the technology we install and service,” Russ said.
Russ and his girlfriend Summer have a new baby girl, Sophie. He loves fatherhood, “the biggest job in my life,” as he explains it. “It’s tough to describe. It’s tough to prepare for.”
In what little spare time he has, Russ likes to relax and play video games. “I don’t get out much because I’m burning the candle on two ends. I’ll shop a little bit on Amazon. That takes up more time than I’d care to admit,” he chuckled.
Feel free to reach Russ directly on his cell phone at (262-364-7007) or rzanow@hsprotection.net.