Page 62 - MY STORY

We stored a limited amount of sheet, plate and forging

stock. One of the difficult issues for me was being
relegated to be a supplier of technical information,
customer briefings, and occasional troubleshooting,

rather than an engineer on the firing line of technical
development. This reality really did not sink in till a little
later, but that’s another story.

Sometimes I got really tired of hearing myself talk,
especially when giving “canned” briefings on our legacy

and new products to a wide variety of companies. The
truly interesting part of this job was the ability to work

with all levels of personnel, ranging from shop-floor
manufacturing people to senior company management.
“A customer was a customer” whether it be an inspector
in receiving inspection or a company president.

The broad range of people that I worked with really

matured my personal communication skills and was a
major factor in developing some level of assertiveness. I
was able to work with a tremendous range of engineering

talent, manufacturing prowess, and management decision
making. Holding a security clearance was also critical
since it gave me access to support a wide variety of

military aerospace contractors. Interacting with this