One of my favorite parts of my career path is the opportunity to tour many local manufacturers. In order to help place people in the right career opportunities we tour the facility to see exactly what and how the candidates will do their job. This gives us a chance to make sure everything is safe and also to be able to better describe it to a job seeker.

While it is intended to serve a business purpose it also scratches my curiosity itch. Seeing how things are manufactured blows my mind. Sure, there are TV shows like How It’s Made, but to actually see it in person is awesome!

Over the past couple of decades I’ve seen things from gummy bears to baseball bats to canoes to military surveillance devices to hard drives to train axle lubricators to the orange flexible posts that hold up highway signs to music books to violin bows to air tight cello cases. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! I’d bet I’ve toured over 200 different manufacturers in my career with Express and each has produced something very different.

Today I had to opportunity to tour two different manufacturers with some of our teammates and I was smiling from ear to ear. In some cases I have try to tone down the excitement a little as I’m so amped up! Crazy right?

Each time I tour a business my inner child gets crazy giddy at the prospect of seeing how something new is made. What processes are used? What materials are used? Why this instead of that? How do you manage supply line and forecast upcoming demand? Why is the operation laid out like it is? So many questions I want to ask to learn more about how they produce their products.

Thank you to all of the businesses who’ve blessed me with the opportunity to satisfy my child like senses of curiosity and wonder – I appreciate those moments greatly!

Thanks!!!