It’s National Engineers Week (February 17-23) and here’s a shout out to our talented Bishop-Wisecarver engineers who design our products, work with customers to get exactly the right solution for their project and help take linear motion to the next level. Day in and day out – they make a difference for us all.
This week is also a great reminder of the STEM efforts happening in our schools and through programs like FIRST Robotics and National Manufacturing Day. As ongoing sponsors of these annual programs, we are convinced they make a difference in bringing talented new employees into the manufacturing industry. And that is good news for everyone!
Below are comments from two of our BW engineers highlighting their career paths and decisions. Their excitement is evident and helps provide the unique Signature Experience we promise our customers.
Nils Severson joined Bishop-Wisecarver in 2015 as a recent college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
NS: I enjoy the variety of my job. One day, I can be focused on designing a fixture or a machine to complete a specific task and the next, I’m trying to improve a process or figure out the root cause of some problem.
I also enjoy learning about, and designing, products that are going to last over the long haul in extreme and harsh environments. Many of our customers know this is our specialty and we have products in the field that have been working continuously for years in cold, hot, dirty or even ultra clean places. This takes a unique design and manufacturing process that I like working with.
Q: Why did you choose a career in engineering?
NS: I like creating things and I like figuring out how things work. Engineering lets me do both.
Q: What advice would you give students interested in engineering and/or manufacturing?
NS: Keep building things. Try and make it before you buy it. For example, try to build a bicycle, a table or video game console. The process of thinking about how to make all of those things will help you learn even if you don’t end up actually building it. If you do build it, you will begin to understand the practical side of manufacturing something.
Brian Burke joined Bishop-Wisecarver in 2003, holds a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Technology and a minor in Production and Operations and Management from California State University, Chico.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
BB: I enjoy the learning opportunities and evolving challenges in my job. I have worked on many projects which have tested my knowledge and extended my capabilities and confidence. In my current marketing-based role I’ve learned new software tools including video production, document authoring, website design, image modification, and e-commerce platforms.
Q: Why did you choose a career in engineering?
BB: I’ve always been curious about how things work and how things are made. How do they make glass windows? How do they cut steel? Where did the tires on my bicycle come from? How long does it take to build a house? I became interested in engineering and manufacturing when I began to find some of the answers to my curiosity.
Q: What advice would you give students interested in engineering and/or manufacturing?
BB: It’s a big world out there! There are so many areas and technologies to focus on. You can spend an entire career in one specialty, or you can touch on several different areas. Keep learning. Adopt the mindset of a lifelong learner and you will be more engaged with your career.
This week is also a great reminder of the STEM efforts happening in our schools and through programs like FIRST Robotics and National Manufacturing Day. As ongoing sponsors of these annual programs, we are convinced they make a difference in bringing talented new employees into the manufacturing industry. And that is good news for everyone!
Below are comments from two of our BW engineers highlighting their career paths and decisions. Their excitement is evident and helps provide the unique Signature Experience we promise our customers.
Nils Severson joined Bishop-Wisecarver in 2015 as a recent college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
NS: I enjoy the variety of my job. One day, I can be focused on designing a fixture or a machine to complete a specific task and the next, I’m trying to improve a process or figure out the root cause of some problem.
I also enjoy learning about, and designing, products that are going to last over the long haul in extreme and harsh environments. Many of our customers know this is our specialty and we have products in the field that have been working continuously for years in cold, hot, dirty or even ultra clean places. This takes a unique design and manufacturing process that I like working with.
Q: Why did you choose a career in engineering?
NS: I like creating things and I like figuring out how things work. Engineering lets me do both.
Q: What advice would you give students interested in engineering and/or manufacturing?
NS: Keep building things. Try and make it before you buy it. For example, try to build a bicycle, a table or video game console. The process of thinking about how to make all of those things will help you learn even if you don’t end up actually building it. If you do build it, you will begin to understand the practical side of manufacturing something.
Brian Burke joined Bishop-Wisecarver in 2003, holds a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Technology and a minor in Production and Operations and Management from California State University, Chico. Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
BB: I enjoy the learning opportunities and evolving challenges in my job. I have worked on many projects which have tested my knowledge and extended my capabilities and confidence. In my current marketing-based role I’ve learned new software tools including video production, document authoring, website design, image modification, and e-commerce platforms.
Q: Why did you choose a career in engineering?
BB: I’ve always been curious about how things work and how things are made. How do they make glass windows? How do they cut steel? Where did the tires on my bicycle come from? How long does it take to build a house? I became interested in engineering and manufacturing when I began to find some of the answers to my curiosity.
Q: What advice would you give students interested in engineering and/or manufacturing?
BB: It’s a big world out there! There are so many areas and technologies to focus on. You can spend an entire career in one specialty, or you can touch on several different areas. Keep learning. Adopt the mindset of a lifelong learner and you will be more engaged with your career.
