Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541367
NOVEMBER 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 11 offers. It should have been a no-brainer as to which one to take. Sohio was a petroleum company that was right up my alley as a chemical engineer, while Chemcut was in the electronics industry, which was not. However, a small voice in the back of my mind kept saying, "Take the Chemcut offer." I went with my gut and accepted the Chemcut offer with very little idea of what I would actually be doing. This turned out to be another good decision based on feeling rather than fact. Chemcut had a process engineering group dedicated to learn- ing how the equipment was used, to help custom- ers with process problems, conduct development work to improve the processes, and figure out how to handle some of the outlandish tasks and work with materials that customers insisted on etching. There was plenty of work for a chemical engineer to do. Like many of us, I suspect, I got into the busi- ness entirely by accident with no idea of what I was getting into. Chemcut has proven to be an excellent place for a long-term career. Over the years, we have evolved into an LLC with approximately a dozen employee owners, as well as some outside investors. We are a relatively small company with virtually no corpo- rate structure. Everyone knows their job and who is in charge, but all are free to express their opinions and suggestions for improvements. My job has involved a lot of travel to companies, both domestic and foreign, and I have found none where I would rather work. It may sound trite, but it really is more of a family atmosphere than a work- place. Employees tend to come and stay, although we do have a problem with the local university research department continuously poaching our engineering staff. ⊲ One of Don's favorite photos from his travels (and, he says, you might notice he's at a considerably younger age).