David Baird knows machines. With almost 30 years' experience running lathes, drills, and grinders, he can tell if a piece of equipment needs a tune-up by listening to its hum. Despite being a skilled craftsman, Baird figured he'd always be a blue-collar wage slave. "Guys like me can make some good money," says the 47-year-old machinist, "but we rarely get the chance to manage something, own something, to be part of something bigger."
Last September, Baird got his chance. He became one of eight employee-owners of Select Machine, the Brimfield (Ohio) company where he has worked for seven years.
