Faces of Manufacturing: Machining's a Thrill Ride for Former Drag Racer
One in a Manufacturing Day series that celebrates the industry’s workers, from the C-Suite to the shop floor.
Marcus Bowen
City/State of Residence: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Job Title: CNC Machining Group Leader
Company: Formtek Inc.
Years with Company: 5
Industry of Your Company: OEM of machine tools for the roll-forming and metal-fabricating industry
Education: Cuyahoga Falls High School graduate, two years vocational school, two years United States Navy
What made you decide to pursue a career in manufacturing?
In 2011, after 10 years of professional drag racing on the NHRA circuit--and being on the road more than I was home--I had to sit down and decide what I wanted to do as a career. Taking into account the skills I had acquired in the past 15 years, I decided CNC programmer/machinist was what I most enjoyed.
What does your job entail?
My primary duties are to apply advanced manufacturing techniques to our extensive product lines. Identifying time saving processes and reducing production costs. In addition, provide training to our CNC programmer/ machinists, from basic milling principles to advanced multi-axis milling and turning using the latest Mastercam CAD/CAM software package. As well as new employee training.
What is the most interesting part of your job? Your proudest moment?
If there was one thing I had to pick as the most interesting, it would have to be the pace at which manufacturing has progressed in the past decade. With my background in programming and machining, it's fascinating to see a CNC machine that can not only print a 3-D shape out of powdered metal onto a machine table but also be able to machine the metal you just printed.
My proudest moment would probably have to be when Darren (Formtek's president) came to me and said "Pick out the machine that you feel we need." Three months later, our first multi-axis vertical machining center hit the shop floor. And just recently we put our second multi-axis vertical machining center on order.
What do you love about manufacturing?
Manufacturing is a non-stop learning experience, if you stop expanding your knowledge in the manufacturing sector, you get behind, and that’s a challenge I enjoy.
What advice would you give to kids considering a job in manufacturing?
Apply yourself in manufacturing and you will succeed and never stop learning. It has tremendous opportunities to be successful and is a career path that will provide you a comfortable and rewarding life.
