Link Winter 2013

Page 1

Link WINTER 2013

Founded in 1882, the Cleveland Institute of Art is an independent college of art and design committed to leadership and vision in all forms of visual arts education. The Institute makes enduring contributions to art and education and connects to the community through gallery exhibitions, lectures, a continuing education program and the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque.

NEWS FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART

CIA GRADS HELP PROPEL GLOBAL MANUFACTURER OF POWER EQUIPMENT MTD Thrives With All-CIA Design Team Over a 40-year career as an industrial

the Modern Tool and Die Company. MTD

and the company had me design a ride-on

hired Fowler and Kucera right out of college.

designer at MTD Products in Valley City,

diversified over the years, entering the

mower which sold for about $700. Last

The CIA lineup at MTD was growing, but

Ohio, Ken Smith ’70 helped build the

lawn and garden power tool market in the

year, 40 years later, we did a very similar

dexterity with Alias was only part of the story.

company into a global leader in outdoor

late 1950s. By the mid ’70s, when Smith

ride-on project only with more horse power,

power equipment. He also built a cracker-

was a rookie designer, the company had

more amenities, more everything, and it

jack team of CIA-educated designers who

grown to include eight affiliated companies

sold for $800. Meanwhile, that fully loaded

add value to the company while growing

in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Today,

Dodge Charger would be about $38,000.

individually as professionals.

MTD has dozens of brands and facili-

Long story short, our industry has had to

ties across North America, Europe, Asia,

find ways of being very, very, very cost

design director, can pat himself on the back

Australia, and South America. The Moll

competitive.”

for both accomplishments. But he quickly

family owns the company, with Robert Moll

deflects commendation and credits CIA

as the third-generation CEO.

Smith, who retired in December as

with educating the best — and only — designers he has ever hired.

MTD manufactures garden tractors, off-

Good design, developed quickly, turned out to be essential for cost competitiveness. To help speed up the design process, Smith

highway utility vehicles, mowers, trimmers,

and his colleagues took a course in the

edgers, snow throwers… just about any-

1990s to learn how to use Alias®, the leading

Jeff Kucera ’99, Mark Raber ’04,

thing homeowners might use to maintain a

industrial design software. “It was like pull-

Jeremy Powell ’07, Ryan Maibach ’09,

yard. MTD brands include familiar names

ing hairs out of our heads to learn it but we

Jonathan Prybor ’12, and Brandon

like Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Bolens® and

recognized that this was the way we had to

Promersberger ’12. He also hired Joe

Remington. One look at the products con-

go. We were one of the very first American

Tymoszczuk ’85, who is senior graphic

firms that good design — from styling to

companies to say we are going to design

designer for the company, and Hunter

colors to ergonomics — is a key competi-

using Alias and go right into production from

Basenberg ’02, an industrial designer at

tive advantage for this company.

that. The timeframe of design went from two

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

to three years down to a few months.”

They include: Dennis Fowler ’98,

the company’s Arizona facility. Another CIA grad, Steve Hornung ’70, joined the company two years before Smith did and retired three years ago, after 39 years of service.

When Smith and Hornung started designing

The next step was for MTD to expand

equipment for MTD, they were sketching by

the digital design team; and by the late

hand and modeling prototypes from clay.

1990s, Smith was doing the hiring. “I interviewed students from all over

THE CIA ADVANTAGE According to Smith, ability to work well with others is as important as computer skills for MTD designers. “We’re looking for team players. It’s important that our designers don’t have arrogance about them so that they’re unable to work in a team environment. We’ve found that the students who come from the Institute, generally speaking, are better team players than other students. We’re ecstatic with the quality of the students we’ve hired. These guys are very good at what they do,” he said. Kucera agrees. Since Smith’s retirement, he has taken over as design manager. “The students from the Institute can work as a team, come up with ideas, Continued on page 2

above: The MTD Team, from left, Jeff Kucera ’99, Jonathan Prybor ’12, Brandon Promersberger ’12, Ryan

THE BRAND BEHIND FAMILIAR BRANDS

To illustrate the way the field has changed

MTD traces its roots to 1932 when

since then, Smith shares a quick story.

the United States — California, Michigan,

Maibach ’09, Dennis Fowler ’98, Jeremy

German immigrants Theo Moll, Emil

“When I started the job in 1972, I bought

Cincinnati — and clearly the CIA students

Powell ’07, Mark Raber ’04, Ken Smith ’70,

Jochum, and Erwin Gerhard purchased

a brand new Dodge Charger for $3,800,

were the best on Alias,” he recalled. He

and Joe Tymoszczuk ’85.


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