40 Under 40

Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 was created to bring recognition to young professionals in the industry, giving names, faces, and words to the rising generation of industry professionals. In this article, released in the final nomination period for Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020, exemplary classmates from previous years share their views on the industry, giving words of encouragement to other young professionals, both current and future.

Kyle Hummel, P.E., Sr Metallurgical Engineer at Contour Hardening

In 2019, Kyle was nominated by Contour Hardening to receive the 40 Under 40 recognition. Since receiving the nomination, Kyle has begun an Executive MBA program at Purdue to, “expand my education in business and leadership,” Kyle wrote, “in order to improve my effectiveness in my current position as well as prepare myself for future roles.”

Over the years, Kyle has found the broad range of processes and technologies in the heat treat industry to be appealing. The heat treat industry, Kyle noted, “can offer the perfect balance of hands on work experience as well as quality and process improvement that can keep you engaged for years as you grow your career. Another advantage is that heat treaters typically supply a number of different industries, so you can get experience in multiple fields that will help steer your career choices.”

Read more about this 2019 Honoree here.

Matt Clinite, ICS Sales Manager at Ipsen USA

Similarly, Matt Clinite was recognized in last year’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. Over the past year, Matt has been leading his remote team of regional sales engineers, who help Ipsen’s customers secure aftermarket parts, retrofits, and field service technicians. For him, the switch to online platforms and less face-to-face contact in the era of COVID has brought him to consider the fact that the “forced adjustment” may have lasting effects on business in years to come. “For many of us extroverted professionals,” wrote Matt, “[it] is a real bummer, but I’m optimistic this will be a blip in time, and some day we will be able to continue meeting face to face.”

As a 31 years old young professional, a manager, and a father of two, Matt has critical insight into hiring and maintaining future young leaders: While many believe that the industry needs to attract young people, Matt flips the onus saying, “If you ask 10 successful people in the industry to tell you their story, 9 of them will say they fell into the industry by accident…the industry needs to retain the young people that ‘fall’ [in].” His suggestions are that employers take care of their young employees and “provide a career path that will allow them to grow financially and professionally.”

Read more about this 2019 honoree here.

A Few Words of Advice to Young Professionals

For young professionals beginning in this industry, both Kyle and Matt emphasize the importance of initiative and focused learning, especially on the job.

• “Learn as much as you can, and get out on the floor and understand the equipment and talk to the people who have been working in heat treat for years.” – Kyle Hummel
• “Find someone who can be a mentor to you and help you through the learning curve – working with huge expensive furnaces and equipment can be intimidating at first, and having someone help guide you through the process will be very beneficial.” – Kyle Hummel
• “Take it upon yourself to become known inside your organization. Find ways to get in front of senior leadership and the technical staff. Once they know who you are, find ways to continually insert yourself into projects and discussions with them.” – Matt Clinite
• When invited to important meetings or discussions early on, “It’s ok (and often times
  best) to sit back and simply listen to the discussion. Take it all in and become a sponge.” – Matt Clinite
• “Don’t be afraid to request meetings with leadership around topics such as: career advancement, merit increases or to voice your ideas.” – Matt Clinite

The Role of 40 Under 40

These two honorees, as well as fellow classmate Tim Mohr, Director of Strategic Programs at Paulo, and 2018 honoree, Danielle Cote at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), explained how the recognition has benefited them, and why they would encourage others to nominate their young colleagues this year or in future years.

Kyle Hummel: “Being a part of the 40 Under 40 class assists in making those connections to current or future customers, suppliers, or even competitors that you might not have made otherwise.  Heat treat is a close knit industry, and you never know when you will work with one of the other 40 under 40 winners, so it is nice to have that connection.”

Danielle Cote: Professor Cote indicated thankfulness of the honor to be a part of 40 Under 40 Class of  2018 as it provided recognition to an unrecognized field. Hear her full message at this link.

Matt Clinite: “It’s a fun thing to “tout” at the trade show and to post on LinkedIn. And of course to share the magazine with family and friends always makes for good dinner table talk. To me the best part is the comradery. I really enjoyed reaching out to (and having been reached out to) by other recipients… In 2019 I felt flattered when a well-recognized individual from the industry nominated me. I hope I can show other young professionals in the industry my appreciation by nominating them.”

Tim Mohr: Tim also recognized the networking value of his nomination. He says that his acceptance into the 40 Under 40 Class of 2019 allowed him to meet new people throughout the industry. Listen to his full testimonial below.

Read more: If you haven’t already, head over to Heat Treat Today’s 40 Under 40 to nominate a young professional in the industry.