When I first met Jeff Briggs from the Sacramento Valley SME, I was excited about his passion for the industry. Jeff was my first point of contact at the organization. At my first SME meeting, I met then Mike Bell and Matt Valine, two of the other co-founders of the organization. I sat down with Matt, Mike, and Jeff recently to record episode 5 of the Manufacturing Advocates … [Read more...]
The Role of the American Welding Society EP4
Learn the ins and outs of the American Welding Society or AWS from current VP and long time member Dale Flood. Dale has a distinguished career that at one point took an interesting turn due to his fascination with some of the more advanced welding technology of the time. One thing you will not learn in the episode is that Dale holds 5 U.S. patents on welding processes (source: … [Read more...]
What about all those welding jobs?
Since I started following manufacturing trends closely, one thing that has always seemed to come up is the need for more welders. Fusing objects together, correctly, is incredibly technical. If it wasn't, there would not be a shortage of welders. The consequences of bad welds or poor inspection practices can be premature failure and even life or death, so the stakes are high. … [Read more...]
Innovation in Education Sierra College and Hacker Lab EP3
Innovation comes out of great human ingenuity and very personal passions. - Megan Smith After working for 8 years as a consultant to deans and faculty at community colleges, Carol Pepper-Kittredge enjoyed a homecoming of sorts to Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. Now as director of the Center for Applied Competitive Technologies she has had the ability to influence and … [Read more...]
Community Colleges and Makers Filling Skills Gap
The Role of the Community College System In January of this year, I was attending a workforce cluster forum at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. At the time I was relatively new to Sacramento Valley SME, the organization that led to my attendance at that forum. At some point during the day, I had the opportunity to chat with Carol Pepper-Kittredge and exchange business cards. … [Read more...]
Doing the Impossible Since 1972 EP2
When the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station was being built in Herald, CA there was a problem. They needed to train and test welders faster. At the time, they were having to send the pipe out to a machine shop to have it beveled. There could be zero defects in weld quality. It was clear that a more efficient solution was needed. They needed to prep the ends of the pipe … [Read more...]
Growing up a Manufacturing Advocate
When I first met Joe Wernette I had been a temporary fixture in the machine shop at Tri Tool. I was working in their machining department implementing some software that integrated with their CNC machines. During that time I was called into a meeting to discuss something, and Joe was one of the people present. I didn't know it then, but Joe was the next CEO of Tri Tool and … [Read more...]
Manufacturing Is #MFGis
Today as I am writing this, it is the morning of Manufacturing Day, October 7th 2016. My personal reaction to this day, which is described by MFGDAY as: MFG DAY addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during … [Read more...]
High School Car Buff Becomes Champion for Students and Manufacturers EP1
Bill Gaines's interest in cars was the inspiration for a career that would leave its mark in the manufacturing world, but that was the tip of the iceberg. Today Bill and his team at Grow Manufacturing are now champions of industry, education, and economic development for the North State (California) and beyond. Learn about Bill's path through business at the helm of Transfer … [Read more...]
Beyond the Shop Floor: Manufacturing Advocates Podcast
One thing you will quickly discover if you get to know people in the manufacturing industry is how busy they are. I guess it should be no surprise that they stalwarts of their local communities in terms of jobs and direct economic output. How so? We'll address that shortly. People in the industry seem to juggle so many balls that they are unable to participate in things like … [Read more...]