Working in the manufacturing industry often requires problem-solving, ingenuity and curiosity – the same qualities needed to successfully build and race a Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby car.
“There’s so much engineering,” says Michael Gomez. “It’s got to fit inside a box and weigh a certain amount and be competitive.”
Gomez, the principal engineer in manufacturing research and technology at MSC Industrial Supply Co., points to his time learning skills and values as a Cub Scout as helping lay a foundation for his career.
“There was a wide-open canvas of ‘What do you like to learn?’” Gomez says. “It’s a great program, and it really teaches you that you’re not going to be good at something right away. There is a process.”
Trusting that process builds determination. For Gomez, that quality helped lead him to a fulfilling career in a field vital to any society, as well as to being named one of Manufacturing USA’s “Modern Makers.”
Be sure to check out Scout Life‘s Trek on Tuesday on Jan. 28, 2025, at 2 p.m. CST, as the magazine’s editors talk with another Modern Maker, Helena Cristobal. You can watch the broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.
Industry leaders
Manufacturing USA connects people in both public and private sectors around a common goal: to empower our country’s manufacturing efforts by highlighting innovation endeavors and educational opportunities. Gomez has worked in both sectors and knows the importance of this goal to each.
“The core of engineering is solving a challenge and improving a product or service for the betterment of the people using it,” he says.
At MSC Industrial Supply, that purpose can be broad or specialized to a specific client. The company is one of the largest distributors in North America for metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations products and services, offering more than 2.4 million products. As principal engineer in manufacturing research and technology, Gomez leads a small team in making tools work better for users.
One such improvement is MSC’s MillMax, a technological service that helps cut milling time in half, thus saving the customer significant time and money.
“One of the most rewarding things is seeing something you worked on make an improvement in somebody’s life,” Gomez says. “Engineering is truly empowering as you’re only limited by your imagination.”
Gomez was nominated by IACMI, the Composites Institute, to Manufacturing USA’s esteemed group of Modern Makers, a who’s who of advanced manufacturing leaders. These leaders implement new technologies, collaborate with other industry leaders, and train up-and-coming leaders.
Inspiring the next generation
When Gomez was 9 or 10 years old, like many kids that age, he aspired to become an astronaut. He enjoyed math and took technology and STEM classes in middle and high school. The out-of-this-world ambitions faded, and by the time he started college, he was considering accounting. However, one of his professors at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte suggested a different path: mechanical engineering.
Gomez loved the process of mechanical engineering projects in college, for example, designing and building a robot that could cast a fishing line, and he could use math to improve the robot’s accuracy and casting distance.
“Mechanical engineering is a broad industry,” Gomez says. “You can be a rocket scientist, or you can be a manufacturer of everyday necessities.”
His studies led to a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee. He became a visiting researcher there, and then worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory before joining MSC. Gomez also mentors students, introducing them to the world of manufacturing, like his professor did with him.
Children who enjoy math or like to work with their hands are natural candidates for manufacturing careers. But manufacturing today is so much more. Manufacturers use programming and artificial intelligence to make products and services. They also need “soft skills”: teamwork, leadership and adaptability.
“Be receptive to new ideas,” Gomez says. “Curiosity and problem-solving are hallmarks of manufacturing.”
The future of manufacturing
Manufacturing touches all aspects of our lives. Any product you see or use was made by someone.
An estimated 4 million manufacturing jobs need to be filled over the next five years to continue to power this profession vital to our nation’s economy. However, a shortage in skilled laborers currently could leave too many of these jobs unfilled. Manufacturing USA is hard at work to address this skills gap and provide well-paid career opportunities for many.
“There’s plenty of opportunities in manufacturing with competitive salaries,” Gomez says. “It’s a very rewarding career.”
These jobs can be found primarily in the private sector, or through government agencies and with research entities, like national labs. Most jobs don’t require advanced degrees. Manufacturing is an industry you can enter from high school, while gaining experience with an apprenticeship, certificate, or a technical school. For the past two years, Gomez has worked with America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) training program, led by IACMI, to help people enter into advanced manufacturing and CNC machining.
“You can make a good living and build a great foundation for achieving the American dream,” Gomez says.
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