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.