About Company

Acero promotes enhanced job descriptions and stimulating work environments to help overcome the industry's outdated image. For technologically advanced shops, attracting, retaining and motivating the best people is essential, yet the talent pool remains shallow. Fitzgerald has successfully motivated existing and prospective talent by sending them off-site to see their products perform in the real world. The Field Experience Program gives Acero employees the opportunity to see first-hand how components made by Acero are used in medical devices, motorsport, industrial applications and so on. Most recently, The Field Experience Program sent Acero's engineering team to the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race at Lime Rock Park (Lime Rock, CT). Spending time with the Highcroft Honda Performance Development Team enabled Acero Engineers to accelerate their ability to quickly and effectively solve complex problems. For the engineers, that experience translates into strategies for more productive manufacturing. In Fitzgerald's words: "Field experience offers far more than first-hand experience. It is essential because it builds self-confidence and a passion. It connects our employees with the importance of what they're making and they become very motivated to make it even better." Additionally, shops like Acero need to address the problem that many engineering students have not considered a career in precision machining. By introducing the unique benefits of a career in precision machining, Acero strives to open the eyes of these young professionals. "I love it when, after we explain the shop and what we do, I begin to see a spark of enthusiasm," comments Fitzgerald. "It's like their mind opens up and says: 'Wow! I want to do this'." To find open minds, Acero proactively attracts and develops their workforce through co-operative arrangements with trade schools and universities, including Drexel University (Philadelphia). These intern programs enable them to scout for and recruit bright people who are beginning their career. Fitzgerald points out, "Intern programs are good for the student, good for us and it's great for manufacturing as a whole. The more practical shop experience a student has when they hit the job market, the better it is for everybody." Manufacturing is a necessary and key contributor to a strong economy but that requires a talented, energized workforce. If the US as a whole does not do what's necessary to reinvigorate the workforce, it will be difficult to succeed in producing the products demanded by our population within the country's borders, and we will become more dependent upon imports. If manufacturing is to flourish once again, manufacturing professionals must devote the time to image building, invest in people, and emphasize multidisciplinary cooperation. As Henry Ford so eloquently said, "Coming together is a beginning.