01 · The name
Within eyesight of the lab
In 1890, two railroads met at a single point just east of Waynesboro: the Chesapeake & Ohio running east through the Blue Ridge, the Norfolk & Western running north up the Shenandoah Valley. Railroaders called the junction the Iron Cross.
The crossing made Basic City, named for the basic process — the new steelmaking method the town was founded to host. For three years it boomed: foundries, mills, a hotel for passengers stepping off the trains, and a conviction that this valley would be the next Pittsburgh. The Panic of 1893 ended it. The investors left, the works closed, and Basic City was folded into Waynesboro in the 1920s.
The crossing is still there, within eyesight of our lab, and so is the work it was built to carry. That is the inheritance we are named for: a valley that still values the mechanical arts.
02 · The lab, as it stands
Inside the Virginia Metalcrafters Building
Why faith-driven?
We are a vocational training lab driven by convictions rooted in the Christian tradition: that work has dignity, that every person bears the image of their Creator, and that excellence is a form of stewardship. The classic Anglican tradition shapes our culture — how we treat one another, how we approach the work, what we expect of ourselves. We welcome participants of every race, faith, and background. What we ask is a willingness to show up, work hard, and grow. Not just as technicians, but as people.
The organization
Founded in 2025 and based in Waynesboro, Virginia, The Tekton Foundation — doing business as Iron Cross Robotics — is a non-profit currently seeking 501(c)(3) status. We are building out the laboratory inside the historic Virginia Metalcrafters Building and securing funding to keep the program accessible to students. The first class begins in the fall of 2026.
The founder
Randy Caldejon is an entrepreneur, technologist, and Marine Corps veteran who grew up tinkering with anything mechanical — bicycles, engines, then software. He followed a winding path through food service, construction, and the military before earning a B.S. in Computer Science (UMBC) and an M.Eng. in Computer Engineering (Rensselaer), and recently completed an M.A. in Theological Studies (Westminster), where his summative project examined the theological ethics of artificial intelligence.
03 · Mission
Why we do this
Iron Cross Robotics prepares young adults for careers in the mechanical arts through a pre-apprenticeship program combining hands-on training in robotics, fabrication, and systems integration with intentional mentorship and character development.
Participants gain vocational clarity, life skills, and curiosity for lifelong learning — grounded in a faith-driven understanding of vocation as God's image-bearers, equipped to cultivate, create, and serve.
Curious to know more?
Iron Cross Robotics welcomes its first cohort in 2026. Sign up for news, open-house dates, and progress from the shop floor.
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