Matthew Shimmin is a 27-year-old corporate engineering assistant who collaborates with engineers and maintenance managers alike to design, build and improve heat treating and shot blasting equipment at Heat Treating Services of America in Pontiac, Michigan. After working in the industrial heat treating maintenance field for several years as a maintenance technician, Matthew was promoted to be the corporate engineering assistant. In this role, he broadened his abilities and creativity with not only being able to troubleshoot complex equipment, but also gaining the ability to design and implement improved systems to reduce cost and increase efficiency.

In Matthew’s eight years with HTS, he has commissioned several multimillion-dollar pieces of equipment and has been integral in the design phases including conceptual mechanical layouts, electrical and mechanical component selection, and automation programming. He is a real turnkey player on the team that does what it takes to get the job done the right way the first time. Matthew has an ability to identify problems, conceptualize solutions and implement them on the fly. When asked why you do what you do, Matthew replied “It is that gratification of knowing that your hard work has materialized the project now sitting in front of us. All of the hard work and heartache that goes into solving unique challenges, it’s the moment that it all works as planned that you can stand back and say, ‘I did that.’”

It is that same pride in what he does that drives his hobbies. From hotrods to handguns, Matthew is proud of owning a well-oiled machine that functions as well as it looks. With his newly acquired purchase of his first home, he is honing his abilities as a handyman from rough carpentry to finish work. Applying his perfectionist personality to every job, it’s truly hard to tell if it was done by him or a professional.

Matthew has completed several certifications in management training, hydraulic systems, PLC programming, industrial burner systems, and electrical controls. Matthew is currently pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree at Schoolcraft and Oakland Community Colleges with plans to transfer to Oakland University.