Plant Trek 2011

One of the cool parts about LGO is that we have a number of student-run committees in charge of different parts of the program.  These committees provide great teamwork experience outside of the classroom, and work with different aspects of the program including (but in no means limited to) internships, curriculum, new partners, and - you guessed it - the annual plant trek.  I've had the pleasure of being on the domestic plant trek committee, which is in charge of our annual trip around the country to visit partner company facilities.

We kicked the trek off yesterday visiting a Pratt & Whitney facility in Lansing MI, learned all about jet engines and that facility's transformation to a more efficient and profitable operation. They work a lot with composite aerospace components, and I never cease to be amazed at the feat of engineering that it is that allows us to safely fly all over the world.

Today began at the Henry Ford Museum, which is an incredible collection of Americana.  They have everything from Henry Ford's first car (the "quadracycle"), to the Allegheny 1601 (a gigantic steam locomotive), to an old diner, and countless other feats of american ingenuity. They even have an old Model T that they let you help build - I bolted the muffler to the frame. We then toured the Rouge factory in Dearborn where they assemble the F-150.  It was really cool to see the impressive assembly operation, and to learn about the history of the site and all of the things that have been done there - it was at the Rouge that Henry Ford was able to vertically integrate automotive manufacture and revolutionized american industry.  At one point they not only formed and assembled car here, but also processed the steel from raw ore and processed rubber for the tires.

In short, the trek is shaping up to be an awesome experience.  We are set to visit GM tomorrow and see the Chevy Volt be built, stop at the auto show, and then leave Detroit for the rest of the trek to visit Boeing, Amazon, Dell, Amgen, and Hamilton Sundstrand.  It's been fun to help plan, and even better to experience.  I'm sure I'll post a recap after it's all said and done.