Lucky Harbin


We Are SCI


Much like with many of his stories, James “Lucky” Harbin describes his first day at SCI in sharp detail. And just like any good story, this one comes with something a little unexpected.

The date was June 23, 1986, and Lucky was the newest employee at SCI’s old Plant 3. The plan was to stick around for a year or so, but then the unexpected happened.

“That one year turned into 31 years and I never did go anywhere,” Lucky says while taking a moment away from his daily rounds one Monday morning at SCI’s current location. “I liked the exercise, liked being around people, and all the engineers, then and now, are terrific to be around.”

Most of them would probably return the compliment. Over the past three-plus decades, Lucky has become a familiar face to most everyone at SCI with his positive attitude and tireless work ethic. These days, he serves as Day Lead in the Facilities Department and can often be found telling coworkers, “Have a good day, my friend” or, “Call my cell phone if you need anything.”

And if you start a conversation with him, Lucky might even share some of his best stories – complete with a few of those unexpected details.

Picnics and Westerns

There’s the one about how he met his wife, Linda, who also worked at SCI and only recently retired. The couple met in 1992 at a company picnic, not long after Lucky had moved to the current building from Plant 3. A fellow employee made the introduction, but Lucky never thought he’d have to ask her out three times before he got a date.

“Even back to my high school days, I never asked a female out three times. So I said, ‘Why not?’ and asked her out a third time,” Lucky says, pointing in the direction of the exact cafeteria chair where Linda used to sit. “So I knew her for two years, and we dated for two years, and now we’ve been married for 22 years.”

Then there’s the story of his nickname. Sure, his father was a fan of Westerns, particularly Hopalong Cassidy and a certain sidekick named Lucky. But only close friends might know the other, more unexpected reason behind this Lucky’s moniker.

“I was a month premature and spent about a month in the incubator,” he says. “So I got my name because I was lucky that I lived, and I’ve carried that name ever since.”


“I liked the exercise, liked being around people, and all the engineers, then and now, are terrific to be around.”


‘Life-Long Job’

Lucky might tell you that he’s stuck around SCI all these years because of the “wonderful people” he’s worked with. Or perhaps it’s because walking through his daily routine helped him lose more than a hundred pounds – making him “truthfully half the man I used to be, weight-wise.”

But while all of that is true, people from around SCI say he’s also a great inspiration to everyone he comes into contact with.

“It is a pleasure when I see Lucky in the facility,” says Mike Underwood, SCI President. “He is always friendly and is an extremely conscientious and dedicated employee.”

Don Herrington, Supervisor in the Facilities Department added: “He is known to all for his ceaseless efforts to provide excellent support services with a positive attitude. I mention him to applicants during employment interviews as an example that an employee can have a life-long job with SCI.”