How did you get into this type of work?

When I was going to college, I started building control panels and it was just a natural progression. I had an opportunity to take some programming classes and went from there!

Where did you work before Energenecs?

I was a robot programmer and a PLC programmer before I started with Energenecs. I worked for years at a place that provided automated machining centers. Automation in general, just anything and everything! I’ve done programming for filling and sealing yogurt cups to robotics that welded frames for Nissan pickup trucks, and machining centers that machined the calipers for Jeeps.

How did you get into the water and wastewater industry?

When I had my son, I was ready to stop traveling. The automation industry is heavy on travel. I also wanted something less economically driven and more even keeled like municipalities and water/wastewater. Quite honestly, a guy called me out of the blue and said Energenecs could use someone like me, and that was the start of it!

What would you say a typical day is like for you at Energenecs?

Is there a typical day? [laughs]. My typical day is programming, and providing for our customers, whether it’s a service call, a new system or a system upgrade. It could be a few phone calls and then site work or just trying to get ahead with some programming. I am kind of lucky that I don’t sit in the office every single day and I’m also not on site every single day either, it’s a great balance. So I would say overall, it’s a combination of troubleshooting existing systems and creating new ones.

What do you notice about systems that are different from when you started?

Everything is going way more technological. Before it was, “here is your data on the screen”, and now it’s turning more into reporting for optimization and Wisconsin DNR regulations. Take phosphorus for example, they want to remove more and more to tighten up their discharge levels. Clients need to know what’s the newest and fastest way to get this done. Technology is advancing and is also getting more complicated. Basically clients are monitoring far more parameters than they have in the past.

Everybody wants their SCADA on a touchscreen or on their phone so they can walk around the plant with it or take it home with them and have remote access. You have to balance that because nobody wants their system down because of cybersecurity issues either, so I try to work the best angle I can to give them the freedom to do what they need, wherever they need it. Everyone seems to be short staffed now, so getting online with their system rather than have everyone come in is becoming more common.

When you are onsite, what are you working on?

It’s mostly start-ups, new systems or system upgrades. Many water/wastewater projects are bringing in new process equipment, adding controls to their existing system or optimizing their overall SCADA system. Another guy will wire up the whole control panel, then I’ll get in on my laptop, get it running, then integrate with their existing system or help upgrade whatever they have.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

I coach youth football in the fall. I’ve been doing that for the past eight years, it started with my son when he was playing. I also enjoy my 1970 Chevy Chevelle, that I work on and cruise around in. I’ve wanted that car since I was 18 and I finally told myself the last few years I’m going to buy before I turned 50, and I did!