By Lydia Wheeler
Special to Inside Business
Michael Bridges tucks his lunch pail into a desk that's missing drawers and pulls a pair a plastic goggles over his eyes. Around him, the dark warehouse echoes with the crashing sounds of plastic hitting plastic and a forklift beeping in reverse.
He's comfortable in his sneakers, jeans and Darth Vader T-shirt. Ready to start his workday, he walks over to a bin full of outdated computer towers and carries one back to his desk. He picks up a power drill, whirs it to life and begins unscrewing the bolts on the old machine.
To some, these computers are junk. And to some, Michael, who has autism, and the other workers hired to take apart these old electronics might not seem ideal. But VersAbility Resources sees value in both.
The Hampton-based nonprofit, founded in 1953, employs people with mental and physical disabilities, as well as veterans. The company manages more than $20 million in federal contracts and has created its own lines of business. Electronics Recycling, where Michael works, is one it's hoping to expand.
It's a worthwhile endeavor, both for the employees and the company.
Electronics Recycling is a sign of our high-tech times. Workers recycle outdated electronics, taking the devices apart and removing the valuable innards. The pieces are then sold to recyclers VersAbility wished not to name, who break them down into tiny shreds and channel them back in the manufacturing process.
"We collect as much as we can, de-manufacture, sort and then get pennies on the pound for materials," said President and CEO Kasia Grzelkowski.
The company, which holds a contract with the city of Newport News and big names like Canon, has a Department of Defense-compliant data destruction process in place to erase and mangle the memory devices removed from cellphones and computer towers. By January, Electronics Recycling hopes to receive its R2 certification, federal recognition of responsible recycling practices. That would let customers know their electronics are being recycled at the highest standards for data privacy.
Earlier this year, the company submitted a proposal to handle the commonwealth's e-recycling. In October, the company had to reapply for the contract after the commonwealth withdrew its original request for proposals and issued a new request.
Grzelkowski does not know when Virginia will make its decision, but thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the company will establish a second e-recycling operation on the Southside.
More product means more jobs for people like Michael.
"I'm doing a good job," he says in the staccato, robot-like way he speaks. "I'm working so much."
Michael was a toddler when his mother noticed something odd.
"I had been around kids all my life, and he wasn't acting like 2-1/2-year-olds I was used to," said Charlene Bridges. "He just didn't progress beyond 'Mommy' and 'Daddy.' The doctor said, 'Oh no. He'll catch up.'"
Charlene kept taking him back to the doctor, and he was finally diagnosed with autism, which is a developmental disorder that affects a person's social and communication skills.
As is common with those with the ailment, Michael struggles with communication.
"It takes him time to process what you're saying, to pick up social cues," his mother said. "He doesn't recognize sarcasm or if you're uncomfortable."
In high school, Michael started working at VersAbility through the company's transition-to-work program. Since graduation, Michael has gone full-time, earning from $400 to $500 a week.
"Our plan for Michael is to make him as independent as possible," Charlene said. "He's very good with money. I pay the bills, but he could probably do that."
Though the 20-year-old coordinates his own rides to and from work, takes his medication on his own and is financially stable, Charlene's not ready for her son to move out on his own, even though Michael is. He wants to get married someday.
A job is the key to his independence.
Nationwide, more than 70 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed. It's a statistic Grzelkowski shares time and time again. It's a number VersAbility is trying to change.
"That's a tragic waste of human potential," she said. "It's the largest untapped talent pool."
VersAbility -- whose contracts include the switchboard at Langley Air Force Base, classified mail for the Air Force and food provisions for nearly every home portage ship in the country -- employs 1,000 people and 55 percent of its workforce is made up of people with disabilities.
The company has work sites in Hampton, Newport News, Gloucester and Norfolk. From 2011 to 2013, the company's gross revenues grew from $27.8 million to $32.3 million. All money made by the nonprofit goes back into it, Grelkowski said. While other sections of the business expanded, e-recycling suffered a decrease in volume.
The amount fluctuates, said spokeswoman Sarah Bowman, from 50,000 to 150,000 pounds of electronics each month.
"We hope to build the program up so each month we exceed the 150,000-pound mark," Bowman said.
Because of the decrease, VersAbility cut back employee hours for workers like Michael and John Talbott, who often works the same shift.
On this day, John sits cross-legged on his couch at his parents' home in Newport News. His dad, Ben, is across the living room at the fireplace.
"They're cutting back your hours at VersAbility," Ben tells John. "They don't have the work. So you'll be working 9 to 1 instead of 8 to 2 starting tomorrow."
Ben drives John to VersAbility in the morning on his way into work and John takes Paratransit home. It's a public transportation service for people with disabilities.
The change in hours means that John, who arrives at work with Ben, will have an hour to wait before his shift begins. His dad tells him he'll have to spend that time in the cafeteria or wherever he's comfortable waiting.
"You'll be sitting longer so you're going to have to find something to do to entertain yourself. Understand?"
John nods his head.
The soon-to-be 24-year old was born with Down syndrome. It's a genetic disorder that limits his cognitive ability and makes speech difficult.
Like other young men his age, John loves video games, the TV show "The Walking Dead" and girls. He also loves to pick on his dad and pull off a prank whenever he can. When Ben's packing lunches in the morning, he has to keep an eye on John - especially because of a can of dog food that's hung around the kitchen for years.
"He'll try to slip it in my lunch," Ben says.
"I slip it in when no one's looking," John says with a big grin.
Because mom Debra works late as a nurse, John and Ben are home together most nights. John arrives first, around 2:30, followed by his dad, shortly after 4. Though John's capable of staying home alone during the day, it wouldn't be healthy for him.
"Socially, John becomes a homebody," Ben said. "Work and special activities are good for him."
There was a time several years ago when John stopped eating and his weight dwindled to 100 pounds. Not knowing what was wrong, Ben and Debra got John on an antidepressant.
"Trying to get into his head has always been a challenge for us," Ben said.
Involvement helped their son. John began taking part in the Special Olympics, and he now plays soccer, basketball and softball. A job with VersAbility soon followed.
Ben's hoping that more work will come and that John will get back the hours he had.
"There's a tendency for folks to look at special needs folks as different," Ben said. "They are more like us than they are different and if you give them a chance, they have more to offer."
It's nearing 11 a.m. Michael's separating the plastic pieces into cardboard bins and John's working at getting the back off a computer tower. As the piles of parts grow larger and the devices themselves begin to disappear, Michael takes a break to check his watch. He then stops, pulls the goggles off his head and grabs his lunch pail from the under the desk that's missing drawers.
"It's time for lunch," he says and both he and Michael rush to the cafeteria.
Ben worries about the day he and his wife won't be here to take care of John. But the job at VersAbility gives John enough money to live in a group home someday. And though it may seem like menial work taking apart computer equipment, Ben said John gives it his all.
"Special needs folks take pride in what they do," he said. "The competition isn't going to be able to put half the heart into it."
