Faces of JBC: Get to Know Alex Neal
Welcome to the next edition of our “Faces of JBC Technologies” series. We continue to highlight some of the team members who make JBC one of the leading die cutters and material converters in the country.
We want you to get to know the people behind our products and services… the diversity of men and women who make JBC who we are today. Here we feature another new employee: Rotational Engineer, Alex Neal.
What did you do before joining JBC?
I joined JBC right out of college. I graduated from the University of Dayton just a couple of months ago with my BS in Mechanical Engineering.
How did you get into mechanical engineering?
I have always been interested in how the world works and how things are made. The science behind why things are the way they are is so interesting to me.
I was in an engineering club in high school and part of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in college.
What attracted you to JBC and your current position?
As college drew to a close, I was looking at engineering companies in the Cleveland area. JBC stood out to me due to the hands-on opportunities for engineers here as well as the small size.
The amount of freedom JBC gives to employees to get their hands dirty and figure out how everything works is exciting. There is no better way to learn than to do it yourself.
My role here currently is a jack of all trades, which suits me, but in the future I will transition into a subject matter expert. Being able to use my hands a lot during the day is exactly what I want to do. I am a very hands on person.
What does a Rotational Engineer do?
As a rotational engineer, my role is to focus on continuous improvement work. I will aid the specific area that I am in charge of to take care of whatever is needed: fixing equipment, improving the quality of life for employees by making things better and safer, improving efficiencies on the line, etc.
For my first couple of years here, I will rotate through various positions to get a better view of the company and learn where my skills fit best. I’ll work with the quality engineering, technical sales teams, customers, and more.
How does your role fit into the overall company?
As a rotational engineer, I get to work with every department - talking with sales, managing new part set-ups, addressing customer needs from the quality side, and more. I get to be a very well-rounded employee.
What is the best thing about working at JBC so far?
Besides the hands-on aspect of my job, the best thing about JBC is the people that I have been able to work with so far.
The amount of freedom and responsibility here is also great. You are in charge of finding opportunities to help improve JBC as a company and that is exciting.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have always liked to work on and experiment with pretty much anything that has a mechanical system. Outside of work, I enjoy working on cars, motorcycles, and more.
I am also a singer. I was in a professional acapella group in college - we made it to nationals, and were grand champs in quarter finals this past year. I have also played guitar since I was 12. Music is something I really enjoy.