I woke up late today. We were supposed to be in lobby at 8:45 and I got out of bed at about 8:25, so it was a stressful morning. I quickly showered and threw on a business casual outfit, then raced downstairs to grab some bananas and yogurt. At 8:44, I met with group, and at 8:45 we were on the bus headed toward TE Connectivity.

The TE Connectivity visit was markedly different from the other company visits. There was no glitz nor glamour. The building’s aesthetic was plain and gray, workers sat in cubicles silently typing away. We were taken to a bare-bones meeting room and were presented a PowerPoint overview of their business. Next, we were taken to their factory floor, where the impressive efficiency of TE Connectivity shined. Almost everything was automated. Parts were molded, plated, combined, sorted, and reviewed by all kinds of machines and computer programs. I learned that this plant had gone from 4000 employees to just 700 in the past 20 years. To me, the TE Connectivity visit served as a reminder about the importance and power of automation, and the potential it has in shaping the future of industry.

We got on the bus, and I napped. I woke up, and we ate. We got back on the bus, and I napped again.

Then, we arrived at a DuPont research and development site. There, three tour guides (one engineer and two business professionals) gave us a very comprehensive introduction to DuPont, touting their company’s long history of success and wide array of impactful discoveries. Next, we were taken to a room where they showed off all the products that had been developed by their company, including things like Kevlar, GMOs, and athletic wear.