ASCENT INNOVATION
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South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduates James Tomich, Brett Trotter, and Josh Hammell created a unique business model here in Rapid City, Endlas. There aren’t many specialists in the world that do laser materials processing and Endlas is incredibly innovative in their approach. “People in the industry think we are crazy, that what we are doing isn’t real,” says Tomich. Their goal is to always refine their technology, to make products with increasingly longer lifespans. “It’s challenging, what we do is not just solving a simple problem.” And they are continuing to solve more problems, looking to diversify their business into the consumer products market in the knife world, as well as contracting in the defense industry. Tomich says, “one of the principle approaches guiding us — every situation in industry has similarities to other things we have done. Nothing is ever a panacea solution.” Learn more at ascent-innovation.com.
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Plastics1 Metals Sharp Dull Manual Robotic Big Bang Theory Friends2 PLC Internet of Things Fishing Jet Ski3 Forensics4 Psychology 3D Printing Blended Manufacturing5 Local Wine Craft Beer6 Unified Theory Infinitely Complex7 Brad Paisley Daft Punk Undiscovered Matter Dark Matter
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E L E VAT E R A P I D C IT Y JULY 2020
James Tomich 1) Plastics are not resilient enough. 2) If you're going to hang out with real scientists and nerds they're more like the people from Friends than Big Bang Theory. 3) I don't like torturing fish. 4) Forensics is more of a technical and procedural approach. 5) Save time and materials with blended manufacturing. 6) Bruce Banner APA by Lost Cabin is my favorite. 7) The deeper you dig the more complex it gets. That's being accessed across all technologies.
