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StuffMadeinMA.com • 2 0 2 0 • S T U F F 15 growing his skill set and moving up at CIRCOR. "I would love to stay at what I'm doing and get better at it," said Gilman. "In the shop we have so much going on … it's a great atmosphere." All about puzzles Derek Chhiv has worked for FLEXcon out of Spencer for six years after graduating from University of Connecticut, solving all sorts of puzzles along the way. For his first four years, he was in a product development process engineer role. When customers would come to FLEXcon and ask if it could make a product and it fit within FLEXcon's scope and capabilities, Chhiv was one of the people responsible for developing those products. "With my background in engineering, I am able to design, and then fabricate and test out some of these ideas," said Chhiv, "It was a really cool position." He would develop the technology and run trials on machines. Two years ago, he moved into a project engineer role in FLEXcon's engineering department. In this role he works with machines and helped to install brand new machines from one of FLEXcon's sister companies. "If something breaks or if something needs to be modified, I have to figure out a way to do it," said Chhiv. "It's a big puzzle," said Chhiv, "and I find it really fun." He typically spends his days running around, going to machines, and designing parts. "It's not a typical desk job," said Chhiv. Even though he is working on machines and computers, there is a lot of contact with other people involved in the job as well. "I get to interface with a lot of different people," said Chhiv. "I'm not just put away into a corner to do my work." Along with his job, Chhiv is working to get his master's degree in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. FLEXcon not only encourages Chhiv and other employees to work toward further education, but their education assistance program helps pay for the cost. It is easy to access this program as long as the degree you're receiving is relevant to what you do at FLEXcon, said Chhiv. "FLEXcon has been a great company to work for," said Chhiv, "They're really helped me to learn and grow, and they're going to continue to help me learn and grow." Fast-paced and ever changing Everyday is different in the construction industry. Caitlin Cervello, a construction management trainee at R.H. White Construction in Auburn, loves the pace and excitement of her job. "What I like is that everyday can be something different," said Cervello, "Construction is ever changing and it's fast-paced." After getting her bachelors in civil engineering from University of Hartford in 2018 and a masters of engineering this past January, she joined R.H. White's construction management trainee program. The CMT program is a two-year rotational program with five different Continued on page 16 Job title: Project engineer Company: FLEXcon, in Spencer What the company makes: Coated and laminated films and adhesives Chhiv's salary: Around $80,000 per year He's a winner: I am a high school volleyball state champion! Derek Chhiv, 28 P H O T O | M AT T H E W W R I G H T