John-Mark Kennedy had never visited a major engineering company before taking a trip last November with a group from the Tickle College of Engineering to the headquarters of Strongwell Corporation, the world leader in the pultrusion of fiber reinforced structural components. 

Kennedy, a sophomore industrial engineering major, anticipated taking a quick tour of the facility and possibly asking a few questions to an employee. He was blown away bythe reception the TCE contingent received. The students were all provided personalized name tags, had sit down meetings with multiple Strongwell executives, and were given extensive access to the manufacturing operations. 

“They met us with so much hospitality and kindness,” Kennedy said. “They easily could have compartmentalized us or rushed us through really quick. But I feel like they made a whole day about it, and made us feel really, really welcome.” 

Kennedy was one of eight ISE students to make the trip to Bristol, Virginia, with a TCE group that included Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis chair of the college; ISE Department Head Mingzhou Jin; and Gary Null, ISE assistant department head for undergraduate affairs and outreach and engagement coordinator. 

Strongwell’s owner and chairman is John D. Tickle (BS/ISE ’65), one of the college’s most successful alums and a generous university benefactor. Tickle is the namesake of the college and has an engineering building on campus named for him. 

A first-generation student, Tickle worked to pay his way through college before joining the workforce in 1965. He is globally recognized as an ambassador for the process of pultrusion and has been a champion for its value in the composites marketplace.  

Upon the group’s arrival at Strongwell, Tickle met with the ISE students in his office to share stories, including how graduating from UT inspired him to do better in the business world. 

“Getting to sit down with him and have a conversation to learn more about his story and how he got to where he is today was a really cool experience,” said sophomore ISE major Carson Long. “From that conversation alone, I gained a perspective on work ethic and determination.” 

Strongwell’s UT pipeline  

Tickle was hired as president and general manager of Strongwell in 1972. He and his family purchased a share of the company from Shell Oil Company in 1993 and gained 100 percent ownership a few years later. 

Strongwell regularly supports summer student interns from TCE and has hired numerous TCE alumni to join the company’s workforce. The company’s products address real-world engineering challenges. They have been used as corrosion-resistant platforms in chemical plants, composite structural shapes in trail bridge infrastructure, and gates for dairy farms, among other things. 

Strongwell can have more than 20 active research and development projects in progress to test new materials or develop products and processes for the future. The 398,000-square foot Bristol headquarters include more than 35 machines and 10,000 square feet of lab space for testing and research and development. 

During the visit, the TCE students viewed a presentation about Strongwell’s history, the company’s capabilities, and the markets it serves. They toured the plant and display room, where they saw a variety of products manufactured by the company. 

“It was essential to me as a student to see the operations of a company with this kind of experience and facilities,” said sophomore ISE major Ana Cabrera. “I’m very interestedin the field of manufacturing and efficiency, so getting to see the inner workings of their factory alongside their research labs, where they are constantly innovating their materials, was an experience I will relive over and over.” 

Engineering inspirations  

During their lunch break, the students sat at tables with various corporate leaders from Strongwell to find out more about their personal journeys and career paths in engineering. 

“It was great learning more about what people are doing in the professional field, especially in industrial engineering,” Kennedy said. “We were able to get experiencenetworking and learning how to talk to people and be engaged in conversations with executives about their engineering experiences. That was extremely valuable.” 

Before they departed Strongwell, Tickle gave each student a copy of his book, “Never Close a Door: Lessons in Leadership.” Cabrera was inspired by what Tickle has accomplished and the culture he’s built at Strongwell. The visit reinforced her interest in manufacturing and her decision to attend UT. 

“My biggest takeaway from the trip was learning how persistence and the determination to show up for your customers can grow a company through the years and can settle it as a household name in the field of pultrusion,” Cabrera said. “Their commitment to not only perfecting this process but to educating others in its efficiency is amazing.” 

Contact

Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])