A Connecticut Yankee Comes to Montana

by Deborah Nash
Montana Manufacturing Extension Center

02/08/2002 Bozeman--Dale Detrick is Montana's "Connecticut Yankee." Much like the character in Mark Twain's book "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" convinced the Knights of the Roundtable to use bicycles instead of horses, Detrick spends his time convincing manufacturers to implement technological improvements and proven business practices. He moves companies toward better ways of doing business today.

Eager to continue helping companies prosper and be nearer to family in the West, this Connecticut Yankee recently joined the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) as a field engineer serving eastern Montana. He comes from ConnStep, a Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate in Connecticut, where he served as a manufacturing consultant for seven years. He also founded and ran for 25 years DM Engineering, Inc., a successful and technologically diverse contract manufacturing firm in Brookfield, Conn. The company designed and manufactured equipment for such companies as Ford Motor Co., Kodak, and Monsanto.

Loaded with real-world experience and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Yale University, Detrick will help manufacturers overcome technical production problems, improve processes and encourage effective employee performance. Since both he and Twain's Connecticut Yankee agree, "Old habit of mind is one of the toughest things to get away from in the world," Detrick will use the high quality, unbiased advice and assistance offered throughout the state by MMEC to give manufacturers a fresh set of eyes both on the shop floor and in management.

Detrick replaces Keith Novakovich, a six-year veteran of MMEC, who is now chief operations officer for Anderson Steel in Billings.

Detrick can be reached at the MMEC office in the Big Sky Economic Development Center, downtown Billings, phone 406-256-6871. MMEC field engineers in other areas of Montana can be reached by calling 800-MEP-4MFG or 406-994-3812 at Montana State University in Bozeman.

A 300 dpi black and white photo of Dale Detrick can be found on the web at:
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/biz/daleb.jpg
a small version suitable for web viewing is at:
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/biz/dalebsm.jpg

Send questions or comments to Carol Schmidt: cschmidt@montana.edu. Or you can send letters to Carol Schmidt, MSU Communications Services, 416 Culbertson Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717.

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