Re: Request for Advice, Career Choices for an Old Guy

Thomas, if you have 20 years or so experience as a project engineer, there is an increasing demand for your background. Way back then, and even up until 12-15 years ago, most larger manufacturing firms (the likes of DuPont, Monsanto, 3M, Dow, Westinghouse - some are now gone or mere shadows of their former selves) had their own staff of process and project engineers to keep their "proprietary" information and do manufacturing related projects. Then the accountants and Wall Street began to excerise more power in decision making, and those same firms started to dump their staffs. Only recently many of them have begun to realize they need engineering help, and how to bring it in. Many traditional engineering firms, who used to be limited to government and municipal work, sometimes structural and utilities, have begun to try to implement and grow business in process and manufacturing projects. It might take a bit of a leap of faith, since the business is potentially more subject to layoffs and changes in business, and your base salary won't be much different than you are used to, but the variety can be a whole lot more rewarding, and the potential for bonus is better. And, it's a nice transitional step, if you think you might want one, to going it on your own, like Chris.

... Bruce D. Bullough ...
Lead Process Engineer
Foth Production Systems, LLC
8550 Hudson Boulevard North, Suite 100
Lake Elmo, MN 55042
Direct: +651-288-8598 Fax: +651-288-8551 <a href="http://www.foth.com">http://www.foth.com</a>

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Thomas Laupa <tlaupa@frii.com> Sent by: <a href="/group/PipingDesign/post?postID=4Ak-j8rQwZdurfvmTMQXPIZfPYu67yuAlLmWSF2Uz0d_LuvJxSkoTUaUcNetvtxdJp4I38VMUZuJKRSTdOcvknM7">PipingDesign@yahoogroups.com</a> 04/05/2007 11:42 PM
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Re: [PipingDesign] Request for Advice, Career Choices for an Old Guy

Chris: I value your well considered input. Thank you for your response. These are things to consider.

Thomas G Laupa PE
Senior Engineer - Nalco Company
Office Address: 1601 Diehl Road, Naperville, IL, 60563 Courier Address: 1003 Remington, Fort Collins, CO, 80524 970-227-5127
800-493-5009 fax Received on Fri Apr 06 09:03:00 2007