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1 1 F A L L 2 0 1 9 / S T U F F M A D E I N M A I N E Faces of Manufacturing "I'm a voracious learner and love to apply what I learn to over- come challenges in novel ways," he says. For example, he uses Scrum, an agile software framework, to improve the way Molnlycke's manu- facturing teams work. Developing and coaching people is one of the most enjoyable aspects of his work. "It's rewarding to work with people to develop a system for running a business that grows and adapts as the business changes, but even more rewarding when they start to apply their learnings at home and in the community," he says. "It makes my day when some- one says, 'Hey Nick, I applied that thing you taught us on this thing at home and it's so much easier now! Thank you!' It's also very satisfying that we make amazing health care products that have a big impact on the quality of life of customers." Pratt & Whitney: Well-Rounded Intro James Brann, 30, was studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., when he was selected for an internship at the East Hartford, Conn., headquarters of Pratt & Whit- ney, an aerospace manufacturer. "I dove right in," he recalls. "I ended up with a full-time job offer before I went back to school for my senior year." After graduating in 2011, he re- turned to Pratt & Whitney to take part in its manufacturing engineering development program. This allowed him to gain exposure to different disciplines through rotations through positions like turbine blade manu- facturing, mechanical component manufacturing, development engine testing and production readiness. "You get to see many aspects of the business and become well- rounded, and they work to place you into a full-time position that fits your skill set," he explains. Working his way up the ladder, today he's a manufacturing engi- neering manager at the company's 1 million-square-foot North Berwick campus. He heads a team of manu- facturing engineers and techni- cians focused on solving technical problems that arise in manufactur- ing processes and driving perfect quality at the lowest cost. "I love new challenges," he says. "I'm always looking for that next radical solution." n P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F P R A T T & W H I T N E Y R I G H T : James Brann, 30, a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, "dove right into" a career at Pratt & Whitney and is now a manager.