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Eileen Cunningham's Presentation on Capitol Hill, July 30, 2009
Capitol Hill
Eileen Cunningham's Presentation on Capitol Hill, July 30, 2009:
Thank you so much for the opportunity to contribute to today’s discussion. I’d like to discuss a bit about Meyer Tool, the positive impact we’ve experienced through science/industry collaboration and how valuable continuing that collaboration is, not only to industry, but to our nation as a whole.
Founded in 1969, Meyer Tool & Mfg., Inc., is a small, woman owned business located in a south suburb of Chicago. We are one of the nation’s many family owned businesses and one of the few that has successfully made the transition to being a second generation firm.
My father, Frank Meyer, was originally a machinist at Argonne. He and my mother founded Meyer on the premise that machining is machining and a good machinist could apply his skills to any application, regardless of product. This vision and entrepreneurial spirit earned us a role in the initial construction of Fermilab and our reputation for building the impossible began. Today, we maintain a leadership role in the design and manufacture of cryogenic, vacuum and pressure equipment for basic science, research, development, and industrial applications. From Fermi days on, the field of High Energy Physics has provided a substantial base of work.
A recent highlight includes delivery of eight Cryogenic Distribution Boxes to the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland. We are the only American company featured prominently in the tunnel and our feedboxes power the magnets that guide the proton beam. That project was in-house longer than 2 years and was delivered on time within budget!
When the nation is considering the future of SCRF projects, collaboration with industry such as ours is a win-win.
Government/industry collaboration will ultimately strengthen America’s ability to maintain a leadership position in future SCRF international collaborative efforts. Why? Because the best and brightest naturally gravitate to where the science is happening! When America commits to high profile scientific projects and to the industries that support them, scientists and engineers – leaders – will automatically follow, along with their discoveries, innovation and the subsequent commercial applications. The ability to lead the collaborative efforts will surely provide far greater benefit, both technologically and economically, than the cost of the initial investment. In fact the cost of letting this opportunity go will negatively impact America for decades!
The ability to lead international collaborative efforts will, in great part, be enhanced by a strong manufacturing base. Just as America has depended on manufacturing to lead us into every recovery since World War II, she will need manufacturing to capture the minds of the best and brightest and bring their ideas to fruition. The good news is that high tech, value-added manufacturing is alive and well here in America! Manufacturing provides well paid career choices for our nation’s workforce. At Meyer, our 30+ person team includes a physicist, engineers, machinists, welders and technicians, all with jobs that pay well above the national average with full benefits. We offer stable employment and opportunity! We have long-term employees that have been with us more than 20 years and trainees just learning their craft. And each of them takes tremendous pride in the knowledge that they are contributing to cutting edge science.
Collaborative efforts between labs and industry is the ultimate win-win! A leadership role in future SCRF international collaborative efforts is vital to maintaining a vibrant economy. Support of high energy physics and SCRF technology along with government/industry collaboration, especially in early project phases, will strengthen America’s ability to play a leadership role. Supporting our manufacturing base, technology transfer, encouraging the best and brightest to choose the USA for their contributions and the innovation that results are powerful forces we absolutely cannot afford to pass by! SCRF technology needs manufacturing. Manufacturing and industry needs SCRF projects. America needs both!
Download Powerpoint presentation as PDF.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to contribute to today’s discussion. I’d like to discuss a bit about Meyer Tool, the positive impact we’ve experienced through science/industry collaboration and how valuable continuing that collaboration is, not only to industry, but to our nation as a whole.
Founded in 1969, Meyer Tool & Mfg., Inc., is a small, woman owned business located in a south suburb of Chicago. We are one of the nation’s many family owned businesses and one of the few that has successfully made the transition to being a second generation firm.
My father, Frank Meyer, was originally a machinist at Argonne. He and my mother founded Meyer on the premise that machining is machining and a good machinist could apply his skills to any application, regardless of product. This vision and entrepreneurial spirit earned us a role in the initial construction of Fermilab and our reputation for building the impossible began. Today, we maintain a leadership role in the design and manufacture of cryogenic, vacuum and pressure equipment for basic science, research, development, and industrial applications. From Fermi days on, the field of High Energy Physics has provided a substantial base of work.
A recent highlight includes delivery of eight Cryogenic Distribution Boxes to the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland. We are the only American company featured prominently in the tunnel and our feedboxes power the magnets that guide the proton beam. That project was in-house longer than 2 years and was delivered on time within budget!
When the nation is considering the future of SCRF projects, collaboration with industry such as ours is a win-win.
- The labs win by incorporating industry best practices enabling cost effective project management. Industry is experienced in building these projects. At Meyer, we apply lessons learned to every project we encounter. Our experienced engineers and fabricators work with customers at every step from initial involvement – hopefully as early as the design phase where collaboration is most effective – to project completion. This hands-on involvement promotes the highest quality, most cost effective solutions for both parties.
- Industry wins by learning new technology that can be transferred to new and different applications. Meyer’s entered the high tech world through the government/industry collaboration of Fermilab’s initial construction. We leveraged knowledge learned in this technology transfer to other DOE Science programs and Private Industry. Today, we apply our continually evolving expertise to projects for a wide range of cutting edge industrial customers in field such as solar power, medical equipment and semiconductor.
Government/industry collaboration will ultimately strengthen America’s ability to maintain a leadership position in future SCRF international collaborative efforts. Why? Because the best and brightest naturally gravitate to where the science is happening! When America commits to high profile scientific projects and to the industries that support them, scientists and engineers – leaders – will automatically follow, along with their discoveries, innovation and the subsequent commercial applications. The ability to lead the collaborative efforts will surely provide far greater benefit, both technologically and economically, than the cost of the initial investment. In fact the cost of letting this opportunity go will negatively impact America for decades!
The ability to lead international collaborative efforts will, in great part, be enhanced by a strong manufacturing base. Just as America has depended on manufacturing to lead us into every recovery since World War II, she will need manufacturing to capture the minds of the best and brightest and bring their ideas to fruition. The good news is that high tech, value-added manufacturing is alive and well here in America! Manufacturing provides well paid career choices for our nation’s workforce. At Meyer, our 30+ person team includes a physicist, engineers, machinists, welders and technicians, all with jobs that pay well above the national average with full benefits. We offer stable employment and opportunity! We have long-term employees that have been with us more than 20 years and trainees just learning their craft. And each of them takes tremendous pride in the knowledge that they are contributing to cutting edge science.
Collaborative efforts between labs and industry is the ultimate win-win! A leadership role in future SCRF international collaborative efforts is vital to maintaining a vibrant economy. Support of high energy physics and SCRF technology along with government/industry collaboration, especially in early project phases, will strengthen America’s ability to play a leadership role. Supporting our manufacturing base, technology transfer, encouraging the best and brightest to choose the USA for their contributions and the innovation that results are powerful forces we absolutely cannot afford to pass by! SCRF technology needs manufacturing. Manufacturing and industry needs SCRF projects. America needs both!
Download Powerpoint presentation as PDF.
