Stuff-New Hampshire

N e w H a m p s h i r e , 2 0 1 8 • S T U F F 61 Position: Associate Engineer Age: 28 School: ConVal Regional High School, Manchester Community College, Keene State College – Hitchiner Engineering Certificate Program Years at company: 7 years Joe Peterson Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. invests in its workforce. Joe Peterson, 28, is proof. I n 2011, Joe Peterson was working at two gas stations and a videogame store to cover the tuition for his software development degree when he realized he didn't like either: Working so many jobs or software development. Needing a paycheck while he decided on a new career, Peterson, 21 and single, took a foundry job at Hitchiner Manufac- turing Co., Inc. in Milford where his dad was an engineer. Working with a 2,000-de- gree oven wasn't easy. Most of Peterson's coworkers were twice his age and married. Joe Peterson: From the youngest guy in the Foundry to Associate Engineer And Peterson had no plans to make a career in manufacturing. But Peterson knew the Hitchiner pack- age – welcoming coworkers, appreciation for hard work, generous investment in employees, and a good paycheck – was something he wouldn't easily find else- where. Now 28 and married, Peterson is an Associate Engineer pursuing a bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business Man- agement. His training has been free and manageable because Hitchiner not only offers 100 percent tuition reimbursement but also schedules work hours around classes. He's thinking about an Engineer Man- agement position at Hitchiner's new plant, recently announced in Milford as part of its NH expansion. Asked to recall when he first felt valued at Hitchiner, Peterson said it was from the start. "My supervisor thanked me on a daily basis because he recognized that I was there to do the work. If people show their commitment to the company, they'll recip- rocate," he says. Three years after joining the company, Peterson thought about going back to school and applied for a two-year pro- gram in robotics at Manchester Commu- nity College. But he also enrolled in an in-house engineering program with Keene State College. He soon found himself on track to a new career inside Hitchiner. The company worked with Keene State to create the equivalent of a bachelor of engineering degree. Called the "Path To Success," it's focused only on engineer- ing-related courses. The company part- nered with the college because it had too few qualified applicants for open positions. Peterson could have afforded the ex- pense of going back to college. But doing so would have prevented him from saving money or having the quality of life he envi- sioned when he traded his three part-time jobs for a full-time position at Hitchiner. And it's unlikely any other employer would have also accommodated his class sched- ule as Hitchiner has. Peterson is now able to drive "one of his top 10 dream cars," a Ford Focus RS, which wasn't available in the U.S. until 2016. "Thanks to the financial situation I had between good money compensation and Hitchiner's paying for tuition, I was able to snag one before they went out of production."

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