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Throughout the country, there are many prominent businesses who have, over time, become synonymous with their particular town or local community. In some way, shape or form, everyone in that community has a connection to the business. In South Euclid, Ohio, Rochling Glastic Composites has been that company since 1951.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a sort of institution within South Euclid, which literally grew up around us,\u201d says Fred Sanford, vice president and general manager at Rochling Glastic Composites. \u201cMany of our employees grew up around the plant and interned with us before embarking on their careers in composites. Because of this legacy we have enjoyed a close relationship with the city government and we work to maintain those close relations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanford describes the company as \u201ca family of families,\u201d with many employees having children in a local high school in the area. This network, he says, allows Rochling to pass down generations of home-grown composites manufacturing expertise and enthusiasm. This past month, two high school seniors, Jack Kukla and Cameron Lucas, had the chance to experience what a career in composites looks like during a weeklong internship at the company.<\/p>\n
However, Kukla and Lucas did not get a typical intern experience. Instead, they worked directly with Rochling Glastic employees to learn everything from the pultrusion process to the company\u2019s software engineering programs used to make precise composite parts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got the chance to see the types of problems engineers have to solve, and the variety of ways they can go about solving them,\u201d said Kukla. \u201cI was enthralled by the degree to which the individual engineering disciplines interconnect within a manufacturing setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Generating interest among young students is important, especially as manufacturers all across America struggle to attract and retain talent due to, among many reasons, the widespread stigma attached to manufacturing jobs. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, while many Americans believe in the value of manufacturing to the country, many parents do not want their kids pursuing careers in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor sure, [students] don\u2019t view manufacturing as a glamorous place to establish a career,\u201d says Sanford. \u201cThey all want to work at Google, or Amazon, maybe Microsoft. But we do cool things. Yes, fiberglass comes with the characteristic smells and itchiness we\u2019ve come to know, but when [students] see how the processes actually work and where the products are all used, it becomes very exciting. They\u2019re very interested to learn about it, which makes it fun for us. And they have great insights and questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kukla, who will head to the Ohio State University this fall to study mechanical engineering, says his experience at Rochling has made him open-minded to the idea of pursuing industrial engineering as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI certainly feel as though my interest in engineering was only augmented by my experience at Rochling Glastic,\u201d says Kukla. \u201cBased on my positive experience at Rochling, given the opportunity, I would certainly consider pursuing a career in industrial engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Throughout the country, there are many prominent businesses who have, over time, become synonymous with their particular town or local … <\/p>\n