French Hosts Manufacturing Day Event
On October 1, 2015, French Oil Mill Machinery Company hosted a group of faculty and students from the Manufacturing & Machining program at the Upper Valley Career Center, located in Piqua, Ohio. The event and tour was an educational tool for the students and also allowed us to show local students a small sample of the great manufacturing career opportunities available in and around our community.
One of our experienced machinists and former Upper Valley students opened the event with a short history of our company and an overview of our products. Following, one of our engineers delivered a presentation covering the process he undergoes to turn a conceptualized process-improving hydraulic press into a finalized SolidWorks drawing ready for production. As part of the presentation French employees also cover a number of manufacturing myths and the realities, the benefits in choosing a career in manufacturing and students receive inspiring tips from our Human Resources Manager on important traits we look for when hiring candidates.
Finally the group toured our machine shop where they saw French parts being machined on a number of manual machines and CNC tooling centers. Our inspection supervisor gave a demonstration of the Faro Arm he uses to verify that all manufactured parts meet our strict ISO-certified quality standards. Then students moved into our Assembly department where they saw the hydraulic press being built that they previously saw as a drawing during the engineering presentation.
After this year’s event we received a signed plaque from the students and the following kind letter and from Upper Valley Career Center’s Apprenticeship/Advanced Placement Coordinator, Tony Trapp.
Dear French Oil Mill Machinery Company:
On behalf of the Manufacturing and Machining program from Upper Valley Career Center, our students and I want to thank you for taking the time to host us on October 1, 2015. We are still excited about our tour of French Oil and I want to personally express how much of an impact the tour has had on our class.
It is amazing how much we packed into this visit. The stories your company representatives shared and the ability to see what the company manufactures up-close-and-personal were phenomenal. The ability to relate to the students and engage them was greatly appreciated. We learned so much from you and had a great time too.
Again, thank you very much for opening your doors to career-technical education.
Sincerely,
Tony Trapp
Apprenticeship/Advanced Placement Coordinator
Upper Valley Career Center
Piqua, Ohio
