Use It Up!
By Evan Coulter
Growing up, my family was a model “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” type of clan. Throwing things away was not an option. It’s a character trait I’ve passed on to my kids, and also one I’m proud to say that UCEC observes whenever possible.
Evan Coulter
Wear It Out
That’s why a new project has captured my attention. One of our customers recently asked us to update and overhaul their control panels for some older bodymaker machinery. The machinery is being moved from one plant that’s shutting down to another plant that needs the equipment. While the customer refurbishes the bodymaker, our job is to figure out if anything is broken with the control panels. And then we’ll rewire the panels to suit the customer’s new systems and new control processes.
We’re starting to open up the panels that have been shipped to us. They look pretty good, so now the assessment begins as we compare old prints and new prints. This is when panel building and wiring surprises you with its intricacies. Who knows what we’ll find? Life in the shop is definitely different every day.
Make It Do or Do Without
We like to be good stewards of the environment at UCEC. Taking these older panels and giving them many more years of use helps out the environment and our customer is able to save on costs. Sounds like a win-win to me.
It’s kind of like the ‘77 Caprice Classic that my folks kept on the road for years, until it was over 300,000 miles and probably more NAPA than Chevy by the end. That’s my kind of personal motto: don’t throw something away that still has value. Many of our customers feel the same way and we’re happy to help.
Evan is Vice President of Business Operations at UCEC.
More Posts by Evan Coulter
As the calendar winds down and turns over a fresh page, we're taking a look back at 2017's accomplishments. There were many, including: UCEC's new tech projects, our new published case studies, going "green" with wire duct and our launch of new project management software. We promoted team members, traveled to Mexico and some of us ended up on video and online telling the UCEC story (looking at you, Mark!). All in all, it was a year filled with hard work, great projects and continued success for this company that will celebrate 60 years in business in 2018. Thanks for a great 2017, and here's a toast to our leadership who motivate us each and every day at work.