I started in the tool and die industry as a floor sweep while I was in high school. I immediately took to the shop work and started learning how to run all the machines (manual mills, lathes, surface grinder, cutter grinder, welding equipment, drill press etc..) and how to design in CAD. I apprenticed under my mentor for four years and at year five he told me to take the reins as foreman and learn the business side of the shop. For the next five years I learned the inner workings of the business, quoting, customer relations, how to manage a team, workflow, and how to work with other companies to do projects our shop otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. In my ten years I worked with many different manufacturing companies while specializing in aerospace rubber molds and associated jigs and fixtures needed for post processing of rubber parts. We were often looked too by production engineers and maintenance workers for solutions and I lead the design process in my role. Whether it's designing a tool from scratch or figuring out a modification to a process or piece of equipment I enjoy making designs to solve problems and working with others to come up with solutions. Working with others has always been a pleasure for me. I enjoy learning from other people and seeing different processes. I am interested in continuing my career in manufacturing in a leadership role and I'm excited to see how I can expand on my skills and knowledge base.