PHARR, Texas - David Ortiz, director of UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, has encouraged high school students to consider manufacturing as a career.
Ortiz spoke to students from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD and IDEA Public Schools at Pharr Economic Development Corporation’s 4th Annual Manufacturing Day in Pharr. The event was held at The Forum by Regency.
“There's a myth that manufacturing is boring, that it's very industrial, but it's actually exciting,” Ortiz told the students. “It is always exciting because there is always innovation. happening at a manufacturing site. There's always problem solving happening with great people and great teams. There's always technology developing.”
Ortiz included a slide showing the development of manufacturing in the auto industry in the United States. He said when Ford Motors created the Model T, which effectively replaced the horse and cart, they were able to mass produce it and get one vehicle built every 47 hours. Today, he pointed out, the vehicles are largely assembled by robots.
“I know it sounds a bit cheesy but (manufacturing) is an opportunity to change the world,” Ortiz said. By way of example, Ortiz pointed to SpaceX.
His presentation included a slide showing SpaceX using its famous “chopsticks” to capture a rocket booster as it returned to earth.
Ortiz said he has visited SpaceX’s Starbase at Boca Chica. He said he was proud to see UTRGV alum working as engineers at the assembly plant. “For the first time in human history SpaceX was able to do that. How cool is that?” Ortiz asked.
Ortiz added: “There’s no limit in manufacturing. There are so many great companies, so many great people and opportunities.”
Ortiz explained to the students how made his career in manufacturing.
“I’m actually a UTRGV alumni. I graduated as a manufacturing engineer from UTRGV and then went to work in Mexico in the maquiladora industry for about five years in the medical device manufacturing industry. I then came back to the US after some years.”
Ortiz displayed a slide showing TMAC at UT-El Paso, Texas Tech, UT-Arlington, Lamar University, the University of Houston Clear Lake, and other higher education institutions across the state.
“We have about a team of about 40 people, about 35/32 engineers and about eight financial people to support manufacturers across Texas.”
Ortiz said TMAC provides support to manufacturers in the areas of business and operational support. He said this was basically consulting.
“So, we go there and help the companies to review and analyze their processes and create standard operating procedures out of that and do analysis for improvement.”
Representatives from local manufacturers such as Alpine, Strong Structural Steel, Emerson, Cinch, and IdentiPak spoke at the 4th Annual Manufacturing Day in Pharr event. So did Mike Willis, executive director of the South Texas Manufacturers Association.
Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of David Ortiz's presentation at Pharr EDC's 4th Annual Manufacturing Day in Pharr:
