Announcements & Releases Epic Finance – Focusing on the Buyer AND Seller Epic Finance (Golden, CO) is taking a modern approach to the machine tool financing industry. Led by Chris Frans (President), Epic’s goal is to provide the most optimal customer service to both the customer and the distributor or OEM that is selling the equipment, all while providing aggressively low rates. Chris Frans has been in the equipment finance industry for a decade and has provided financing to thousands of customers around the US. He has a great understanding of the manufacturing industry, the equipment, and what is needed to meet each individual customer’s needs. Please reach out to Chris with any financing inquiries that you might have. Email him at: chris@ epicapprovals.com.
Military Veterans Make a Difference at Mazak Mazak North America credits veterans as essential to its ongoing hiring efforts and its ability to move past the skills gap that challenges companies throughout the manufacturing industry. With 18 new veteran hires in 2021, the Mazak staff now includes 87 veterans in departments ranging from field service and parts to production and purchasing. “We’re constantly impressed with the strong work ethic, focused time management, adaptability and practical problem solving that veterans bring throughout our organization,” said Mazak Human Resources Director Bill Weier. “Their dedication, creativity and can-do attitude set an example of how to excel and advance.” Mazak is committed to providing these veterans with the training and development they need to build thriving, sustained careers with the company. Many veterans become Mazak Field Service Technicians, providing onsite troubleshooting, maintenance and repair on Mazak machine tools at customer facilities. The electrical and mechanical training that these veterans receive in the military meets many of the prerequisites for these jobs, enabling many of them to train and then enter the technician ranks in a mere six months. Managers praise these veterans for their diagnostic skills and their ability to reason through solutions without relying solely on documentation. A2Z Manufacturing Rocky Mountain •
6 Feb / March 2022
Throughout the organization, veterans contribute their accountability, seasoned perspective and mature outlook to make Mazak an even better place to work. Mazak values veterans and continues to seek future employees from the ranks who have served. Veterans who are interested in manufacturing careers can apply for one of the many positions on the Mazak career page: www.mazakusa. com/about-mazak/careers/
Hurco North America Announces New Apprenticeship Program Hurco North America announced the launch of a new apprenticeship program. The Field Service Apprenticeship (FSA) is a 2-year program that starts with a 12-week industry training that merges hands-on training and repair of CNC machines with classroom materials. Cory Miller, General Manager of Hurco North America, said, “We are fortunate to have a tenured service and support team at Hurco. The knowledge they have amassed is extremely valuable and the FSA program will allow them to transfer that knowledge to the next generation of service engineers with intensive training about the machine tool industry, how they are built, the technology that powers our CNC machines, how to diagnose issues, and service machines.” While candidates with a degree or working toward one are encouraged to apply, candidates who are mechanically inclined with no industry or engineering experience are also encouraged to apply for the FSA. “We know there are people outside our industry who would excel at a career as a service engineer for machine tools, but might not have been exposed to our industry. We believe the FSA will be important to bridge the skills gap and introduce more people to the machine tool industry, which benefits the industry as a whole,” said Miller. “If you have a strong work ethic, like to learn how things work, like hands-on training, and want a career instead of a job, this apprenticeship is for you,” said Mark Gilmore, Service Manager Announcements Con’t Next Page
