NFPA Programs Connect Members to New Hires

One of the goals NFPA works to accomplish with our workforce programs is to connect students in our educational programs to careers in the fluid power industry at NFPA member companies. It’s always great to hear the success stories!

NFPA member, Jim Kaas, of Iowa Fluid Power (IFP), recently hired two students that he met through NFPA programs:

Caleb Cobb headshotCaleb Cobb was hired for a summer internship after Jim met Caleb through NFPA’s Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge program. Caleb was a part of the Murray State University team that Jim mentored. In his internship at IFP, Caleb was a valued member of the engineering team and contributed to a number of projects. Caleb started the summer on the production floor building custom power units and working with the technicians to understand the build process. From there he assisted multiple project engineers in multiple phases of the sales and design process. Caleb spent a good deal of his time with IFP’s manufacturing division researching component pricing for project cost estimates as well as working with bill of materials in Excel spreadsheets. Caleb also participated in documenting and testing many of the production power units built by IFP’s manufacturing division during his time there.

Chandlar Armstrong headshotChandlar Armstrong was hired after Jim met him at the Milwaukee School of Engineering for an NFPA meeting regarding a new educational program. The second day on the job in a full-time position at IFP, Chandlar was sent to Sarasota, Florida to participate in a three day supplier training at Sun Hydraulics. Chandlar has been working on the valve manifold team quoting custom manifolds and hydraulic circuits. The team designs solutions for customer applications that range from single cartridge manifold assemblies to custom valve packs with cartridge, ISO and sectional valve interfaces. According to Jim, Chandlar has been a great addition to the IFP’s manufacturing division team and an immediate contributor with his fundamental hydraulic training.

[panel style=”box”]Connect with New Talent!

There are many opportunities to connect with students. One way that is just around the corner is mentoring and judging for the Vehicle Challenge competition. To mentor or judge for the Vehicle Challenge, or for information about more ways to connect, contact Lynn Beyer at lbeyer@nfpa.com or (414) 778-3364.  [/panel]

Recent Posts

All You Want to Know About AI and Its Applications for Your Organization

By Mike MarksIndian River Consulting Group Buzz, hype, mania — we’re surrounded by the topic of AI. The use of generative artificial intelligence tools has exploded since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. These tools range from writing to voice, art and video generators. Enterprising companies are creating tools to service industry niches with…

Read More about All You Want to Know About AI and Its Applications for Your Organization

NAM Regulatory Update: Manufacturer to Congress | Support the American Dream

As part of an effort to bring more information about the regulatory and legal environment facing American manufacturers, NFPA is monitoring the newsfeed of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and will be bringing important updates like this to the attention of NFPA members. As mentioned in this article, Husco is a long time NFPA…

Read More about NAM Regulatory Update: Manufacturer to Congress | Support the American Dream

NFPA Welcomes New Member: Firestone Airide

Firestone Airide, a division of Firestone Industrial Products headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, drives innovative technology designed to eliminate vibration in global transportation. Firestone has over 80 years of experience designing and manufacturing air springs and related products to eliminate vibration across the automotive, heavy-duty, and off-highway segments and will collaboratively integrate tire and air spring sensing technologies to create…

Read More about NFPA Welcomes New Member: Firestone Airide