The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Albert Einstein is often credited with this insightful quote yet there is no record of him ever saying it, and a record of him denying that he said it. Regardless of who said it, I have found myself victim of its validity many times over the last 15 years at Presco. Most of the time I catch myself mid-stream of an issue and the insanity definition flashes across my mind. I stop, slap myself and start changing the approach to at the very least get a different result.
Recently, I found the definition of insanity floating into my head in hindsight to several changes Presco made starting almost two years ago. In the last few weeks Presco has made several technological strides on major development initiatives. After a meeting last week I asked myself, “Self, why do all of these things appear to be hitting at the same time?” The answer came to me instantly; we have assembled a great team! I would like to walk you through the changes to our R&D team that will drive Presco’s growth and improvement into the future.
The changes started with Don Denges’ promotion to Engineered Films Operations Manager in the summer of 2012, Don had been with Presco since 1999 and been in just about every job in the plant. Since 2006, he has been our lead and only R&D/formulation engineer. Don had been a one man show and wore every conceivable hat. Despite his excellent work in R&D, it only took a few months to realize we had made the right choice to lead our entire film operations team.
Next, as Don stepped into his new role we needed someone in the lab. Cheryl Harden has been with Presco since 2006 and went from helping from time to time in the lab to Presco’s full time Lab Technician. Her attention to detail and knowledge of the production equipment have proven extremely valuable.
In late 2013, our R&D team was lacking in, well R&D engineers. The search began and in January of 2014 two polymer engineers rounded out our team. First, our new lead R&D Engineer, Stephen Hutchinson, a Chemical Engineering PhD from Texas Tech specializing in polymer chemistry. Stephen has brought an incredible technical background and a no-nonsense approach to our development process. Finally, our new R&D Engineer Jovan Phillips, a recent Polymer and Fiber Engineering graduate from Auburn University. Jovan has shown a passion to learn and an eagerness to jump right into his projects.
Looking back it is no wonder that Presco’s development initiatives are starting to take off considering the incredible team now in place. The question remains for me is why was I expecting different results for so many years while doing the same thing? My only defense is insanity!