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F a l l 2 0 1 9 • S T U F F 5 3 STUFFMadeInN H .com Manufacturing, as with most career paths, is going through a tremendous amount of change. You are implementing a lot of technologies to accomplish a goal. It's not the dirty job it once was. It's robotics. It's 3D CAD software, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, really all of your core engineering classes combining into one complex process. Why would you encourage someone to consider a career in manufacturing? Tom Beaulieu AGE: 27 "I get to know the company at a very accelerated pace. It is a good place to work. A family owns it so it has a small-team feel, but with 1,800 employees, there are opportunities everywhere. It has the resources of a bigger operation. What is the coolest thing about your job/company? LEARN MORE ABOUT TOM! TJ Hubbard, 29, of Milford, graduated from UNH in 2013 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He applied to Hitchiner two years later with hopes of landing a manufacturing job related to aerospace. He was hired as an associate product engineer and assigned to a division making parts for aircraft brake systems. From there, Hubbard moved to a product engineer 1 position working on defense parts. When Hitchiner introduced its Leadership Development Program in January 2018, Hubbard applied. He is now one of three employees completing the 18-month program. "To be able to work in these different roles and understand what the challenges of the job are, as well as what the day- to-day responsibilities are, is an invaluable experience," Hubbard said. "I look forward to taking these lessons I am learning and applying them to help others succeed." Tom Beaulieu, 27, of Tewksbury, Mass., graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 2014 from UNH, where he learned about Hitchiner at a career fair. "They brought me in for a tour," Beaulieu said, "and I was blown away by the atmosphere and the facility. The culture was different [than where I had been before]. Young engineers were helping one another." Beaulieu started in the Engineer Development Program, which introduces participants to the casting concepts at Hitchiner's Research and Development Center through classroom and shop floor experiences. Lessons include the basics of investment casting, safety, mold components, inspection, metallurgy, and prepares graduates for a position within the company's operations/manufacturing plants. Now Beaulieu is enrolled in Hitchiner's new Leadership Development Program, which gives employees experience in sales, finance, planning, operations, supervision and human resources. On the Leadership program, Beaulieu says,"This seemed like a good path to get accelerated experience everywhere in the business. It's a sandbox where you can try different things and see what works best for your leadership style." He was able to earn his MS in engineering paid for by Hitchiner as an employee benefit, at the same time.