Four years ago, IT Technician II Joe Jackson left Long Island, New York, and headed south. After years of operating a computer repair business in addition to his day job as a New York police officer, Joe began working in desktop support as a contractor, which is how he discovered Arthrex. Joe was a contractor at Arthrex Logistics Center (ALC) in Fort Myers for six months, and when a full-time position became available, he applied and joined the Arthrex team.
Now, Joe works from the Polaris building at Arthrex Global Headquarters in Naples. For the past year and a half, Joe has been loving his new career at Arthrex, and he has even noticed some similarities between this role and some of his previous positions in very different fields.

What does a typical day at Arthrex look like for you?

Fast-paced! My team works on the GIS Helpdesk tickets submitted by employees to troubleshoot and solve any technical problems they may be having. We do that over the phones and in person. We’ll also get questions that pop up from employees via instant message, phone calls or walk-ins. Each day is very unpredictable, but I really like that.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Interacting with my coworkers and other employees. I like getting to know everyone and helping people out of jams so they can get back to work.

I guess I’ve always been drawn to careers where I get to help people. In Long Island, I worked as an EMT and a firefighter, and after college, I spent 20 years in the NYPD. When I retired, I was the sergeant of the Organized Crime Control Bureau and Auto Crime Division.

I get the same sense of satisfaction from problem solving, investigating issues and assisting Arthrex employees here that I did from helping people in those jobs. Although it’s a very different kind of problem solving, it’s the same method of investigation into an issue to find a resolution.

What has been a highlight during your time at Arthrex?

One that stands out is being chosen to transition from a contractor to a full-time position. Arthrex was always my top choice in the area and I was thrilled to get the opportunity to work for a company with so much positive buzz about it.

Our core value is Making People Better. How has Arthrex made you better?

The company’s culture, from the top down, is very positive. This is a very friendly place to work and everybody is very personable. I especially like that managers and supervisors are very approachable and always available to assist with issues that may arise.

What do you do in your downtime?

I belong to an organization of retired local NYPD officers. We participate in area events throughout the year, like the September 11 Memorial coming up in Cape Coral and the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Naples.

Also, I love boating. We typically rent a boat in Captiva and head north to Cabbage Key and Cayo Costa. I love how secluded and relaxing the beaches there are. I also enjoy finding different mom-and-pop restaurants for all sorts of food, but especially Italian and seafood.