#industry

Explore the fascinating world of how everyday items are manufactured and produced. From aluminum foil to contact lenses, discover how many of the things we buy and use are made.

Factories, though complex societal artifacts, have an untapped magic that we should be using to encourage young people to build the future we want. Coming out of college, I had never considered working in an industrial environment. I took the interview at McMaster-Carr because I wanted the interview practice, and thought the trip to Atlanta would be cool. But seeing the facility at work — the miles of conveyor, the meticulously choreographed processes, the thinking put into every piece of the puzzle — made me excited to get involved.

"Remember olestra, the zero fat/zero cal fat substitute initially ballyhooed as the way to slim ever-expanding waists that met with a rapid demise when consumers began complaining of an unfortunate side effect called (forgive the graphic imagery) anal leakage?Procter & Gamble, the company that makes olestra (brand name Olean), is now using olestra-like chemicals to make eco-friendly paints and lubricants. The new product line is called Sefose (you didn't think they would call it olestra, did you?), and provides a "cost-competitive sustainable alternative to petrochemicals in various applications," according to the P & G Web site. "

"In short, my view is that if GM can’t figure out ways to get their managers and executives to understand the experience of owning a car for the average person, if they can’t get rid of those jets, and if they can’t reduce the number of brands, and if they can’t make a host of other changes required to make them competitive, than my answer is “no, you can’t have our money.” "