Chris Reis – From Welder to Engineer
The engineers at Puck help design, test, and perfect every part of our industry-leading equipment. From not only mechanical design and hydraulics but Methods of Manufacturing (MOM’s) and Bill of Materials (BOM’s), engineers can watch their ideas come to life, and even help out along the way. Creativity and innovation lead the engineering department, and each person’s journey to this department varies.
Chris Reis has been working at Puck since 2006 and started his career here in welding. “Just thought I would give that a shot and see what happens and where I go from there,” said Chris. Through the years, Puck added more equipment to their lineup, and with that came more machinery to make products. “I made it my job to learn how to run the machinery in a way that was efficient.” The desire to learn new skills and seek out responsibility led Chris to the CNC laser in production. Not only was he running the machinery, Chris was programming it to allow for product offerings to evolve.
“That’s one of the things I like about Puck’s most, is you’ll essentially get out of it what you put into it.” continued Chris. “If you’re willing to work hard and do different things, they’re willing to let you do those things, which is exciting. It’s a lot of fun to be able to do that, and that’s what drives me as well.” In the 18 years since Chris began at Puck, he has held many positions due to this ambition, which didn’t go unnoticed.
A few years back, Puck leadership let Chris know there was an opportunity to take a class for an engineering software system. Although nervous about learning new, divergent career skills, he took on the challenge. That engineering software class turned into the position of Product Engineer at Puck, and eventually the Manufacturing Engineering Manager position Chris holds today.
As an engineer, Chris has taken on the creation and sponsoring of many of the donation items that Puck produces for the community. Community organizers will reach out to explain what they are looking for, from prizes to giveaways to permanent city structures. Chris and the engineers work with these organizers to manufacture the ideal item for the purpose. “That’s another great thing about working at Puck’s,” added Chris. “They’re always willing to give back to the people and it’s nice that we get to do that.”
Puck and our Family of Brands are always looking to add team members who share our vision and are dedicated to their craft. Explore our current career openings online or call to discuss opportunities. You can see more of Chris in a video on our Facebook page.
