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Wayne Matta

Wayne Matta was born in Brainerd, Minnesota in 1930 and moved to Seattle in 1944, when he was fourteen years old, when his parents came to the area in search of jobs. He graduated from Renton High School and served in the U.S. Army for four years. After working in the naval ship yard in Bremerton, in 1956 he got a job at American Can Company. Wayne worked as a maintenance machinist at American Can's Seattle plant, and later as a serviceman traveling to canneries around Alaska to work on and repair their canning machinery and equipment. After American Can Company closed, Wayne continued as a maintenance machinist with Alaska General Seafood (AGS) for nine years, and after having a heart attack switched to being a trainer for new mechanics and machinists. Wayne currently lives in Washington.

Wayne Matta appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

NN Cannery History

Wayne Matta's Slideshow

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Wayne Matta	Wayne Matta was interviewed on August 10, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Maple Valley, Washington. In this interview, Wayne talks about his work as a maintenance machinist with Alaska Can Company and as a serviceman with Alaska General Seafoods (AGS) traveling to canneries around Alaska to repair their canning equipment and machinery. Wayne describes the process of making cans and canning salmon, including discussion of what each piece of machinery is used for. He clearly has a keen interest in the inner workings of the equipment, enjoyed the opportunity to travel to various canneries around Alaska, particularly Ketchikan, Kodiak Island, and Bristol Bay, and he liked the people he worked with. Wayne offers a rare insight into an aspect of the salmon canning industry that is rarely discussed, the importance of keeping the equipment well maintained and fully operational.	2018-13-05	NN Cannery History	Aug 10, 2018