Industry Person of the Week – Matt Kennedy

Today’s Industry Person of the Week is Matt C. Kennedy, On-Site Machining Supervisor at Atlas Machining & Supply Inc. Here’s what he had to share!

Q. How did you get started working in your field?

Matt: I graduated from Breckinridge County High School in 2003 and went straight to work for Atlas Machine & Supply in Louisville, Kentucky. Breck County Vocational school is a top-ranked occupational school in a rural county and is the gateway for a lot of young men and women to find their career paths after graduation. Atlas is a top-scale machine shop and I wanted to be a part of it. The company’s vice president came to the school during an open house and offered me a job working for this huge machine shop. At the time I was torn between serving in the U.S. military or going straight into the workforce. Atlas had a small amount of guys that would actually go on-site and machine parts at a customer facility. I had to be a part of that as I love to travel and see new things and opportunities. Two weeks into the job we disassembled a 300,000 lb. machine and I was hooked. This was all I could think about. 17 years later we continue to take on more challenging jobs and have a blast doing them.

Q. What do you love the most about your job? What are you most proud of?

Matt:The part I love most about my job is the challenge of jobs that most folks think can’t be done and the crew Atlas has put together make them look easy. We may get a call from anywhere in the world and be on a plane within a few hours. I am most proud of the job the crew pulled off for a U.S. space facility. The project consisted of machining the hold down pads that would be used to test a very large rocket engine. The hold downs basically kept the engine from lifting off. I am also very proud to work for a company that treats each employee and their family as part of their family.

Q. What advice would you give to someone considering this line of work or new to the field?

Matt:I would tell everyone that you only live once so work at a place that doesn’t feel like a job. The on-site machining at Atlas pays very well and you can see as much as you want to. You get paid to travel and see the world. The work when on-site is challenging and demanding, and that is why the folks doing this are considered elite machinists, welders and laser techs.

Q. Can you talk about a project you recently worked on?

Matt:We were recently asked to bid a job for a company that builds nuclear boats. A very important machine used to make parts for the boat was broken and in need of repair, however it could not be removed and had to be done on-site. Several companies were asked if they could help and everyone turned it down except Atlas. We didn’t necessarily have a machine on the shelf that would work either, so Atlas did what we always do. With the work of a few guys we came up with a design. The crew put together a portable machine unlike any other. We went to the job site and machined the part in need–and basically ended up saving the day. A lot of folks there had seen about every type of portable machine ever made, and they were stoked about what Atlas had build and used at their facility.

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

Matt: We really appreciate the opportunity to promote Atlas’ On-Site Machining capabilities. I can tell you that I work with 18 of the best on-site machinists in the world, and they will all tell you the same thing about the field we are in. Also, a big shout out to the spouses at home. They are troopers in a way most wouldn’t understand. Atlas works in hundreds of different types of industry and will continue going anywhere we have the opportunity to go and help save the day.