At this time, Firland doesn’ t employ anyone with TB, but they do employ people with physical and mental disabilities and others who have formerly been incarcerated.
The business is led by a board comprising medical doctors( MDs), PhD ' s, and business professionals, with CEO Tom Greene, who joined in late 2024. Greene has a background in electrical engineering and has an MBA in business management. He said that he transitioned into the position alongside the former CEO whose term ended, overlapping with Greene’ s position. The board members ensure that the proceeds from the business are directed toward appropriate grants for TB and other related medical causes.
Greene, while new to the business, is excited about the endeavor. When starting, he stumbled upon a book by John Green( no relation), author of“ Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection”( 2025), which details the relationship between tuberculosis and society in the context of this infectious disease. Greene started at Firland after getting a call from a former board member about helping people with obstacles to employment.“ The original reason that I signed up was to help people who have barriers to employment. I get so much enjoyment from it. It has been the most rewarding job of my career.” He said he enjoys a wide variety of tasks in managing a business.
“ TB is a painful and common respiratory killer. As a sheltered workshop incorporated in the State of Washington, we help people with barriers to employment. Primarily, our focus is on TB, but we contribute some grant money to train nurses in the field of pulmonary diseases, such as asthma or bronchitis. We also contribute to the tuition of graduate school nurses to work in this field,” Greene said.
While the business started in an altruistic manner, it continues due to the longevity of its manufacturing acumen. The facility is 10,000 square feet and maintains a host of manufacturing equipment, making“ complex parts” according to Greene, with“ precision machine work within ten thousandths of an inch tolerance— it has become something we are quite good at.”
They are audited for AS9100 each year and have“ great quality ratings,” Greene added. Boeing is one of their biggest customers today. Bill Boyce, a 37-year employee and Community Manufacturing Partnership( CMP) leader for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Fabrication, said,“ CMP is a Boeing organization working with multiple non-profit business partners that provide jobs for people with barriers to employment.”
24 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS