The time has arrived

Mark W

Well-known member
After 35 years of working at 3M, I have officially clicked the retirement button. My last day will be June 28, 2019. It can't come soon enough. Three more Sunday's.....

I started here in 1984 when the US economy was horrible. Jobs were very tough to find. I had a couple of offers to work for the oil companies in Saudi Arabia but when I learned where I would be living, with no alcohol nor any young women around, It didn't sound too appealing to a 24 year old kid. It just so happened that 3M started a program that summer for kids still in school, or recently out of school where you could work as a pair of hands in a lab but only for 900 hours/year. I was offered a position working for Dr. Gabran Sabongi synthesizing some new dyes used in custom colored graphics. I learned much from him and near the end of my career I ended up working for Gabi on the 3M LED lightbulb program. I called Gabi "bookends".

As the economy improved, I was offered a job working on 3M's Dry Silver Technology working for Dr. David Morgan, the original inventor of this technology. I developed films for micro fiche readers (you youngsters will have to look up what a microfiche reader is) and satellite recon films. Worked with a company called The Harris Corporation in Melborne Florida which is where a DBHF old time, "Hitch" worked. This site didn't exist at the time and it was years later when I learned he was working there - our paths may have even crossed.

After about 5 years, I made a move to the Division working on products for the automotive aftermarket. Mostly paint refinishing stuff. Right around this time 3M Started the Marine Trades group as an experiment in how 3M might conduct business differently. Typically a Division is based around products, not markets. The new MTD was to go to market as a market focused organization representing every 3M product into the marine market. This group was a blast to work for and the experiences I had and the memories made will stay with me for a long time. It was in this group that I developed many of the 3M retail line of products which I am certain many on this site have used at one point in time. Compounds, waxes, One Step products, adhesives and sealants and so on. It was also in this group that I made the move out of the lab and over to the business side. As many joked with me - I had to have my brain sucked out before making the move (how untrue that was). On the business side, I started 3M's foray into a little known technology (or not commercially viable yet) of solid state lighting (LED's). Also put together 3M's noise and vibration program (as seen on Sea Ray's Quiet Ride boats), anti corrosion covers for the Navy and Marines and many other programs. I was on everything from 300' Super Yachts, to Aircraft carriers, destroyers and Subs (3 days underwater was an experience).

Other stints at 3M were in the mining business where I went underground many times working on dust suppression. I have been in diamond, gold, salt, lead, and coal mines. Underground coal mining was an experience I don't want to repeat - those men and women are brave folks. I practically lived in the Powder River basin area of Wyoming working with the 13 mining companies that mined 36% of the nations coal. While I believe in renewable energy, no one can convince me that coal is going to be replaced anytime soon. The scale of the coal mining operation out there is something to be seen. Non stop mining, non stop miles long trains being filled 24/7. Ton's of coal/train car. Solar panels just can't replace coal anytime soon (IMO). After being in the mining industry I went to the Renewable Energy Division (opposite of coal huh?). I worked mostly with solar panel and wind turbine manufacturers working on new products to improve their products.

After RED, I was asked to re-join Gabi in a new business he was starting for 3M. It was a group that was to commercialize new to the world products. I worked on starting the 3M commercial lighting business where the technology we had to improve LED light bulbs was a lot of fun to watch grow. Worked on products for instant bacteria detection, condensation management at food processing facilities, a new product that should hit the streets in another year or so that will change organic farming, and a few others. I now ending my career working in one of 3M's core businesses - adhesives. Many programs and many responsibilities. 3M has been good to me and my family. It has allowed to see so much, travel the world to places I would probably have never seen, work with world experts in their field and meet many people who have become lifelong friends. While I won't miss the day to day job, I will miss many of the people and fun times had.

After retirement plans - I don't have anything firm. I am going to sit on my rear end for awhile and do nothing. I plan to not be rushed. I plan to enjoy Sunday evenings again. I plan to lower my stress level and never ever look at another financial spreadsheet worrying about numbers with a minus sign in front of it. Code Red will now mean the Mountain Dew cherry flavored drink and nothing else. July 1st will find me at the cabin actually enjoying the place and taking my time to complete the numerous projects that exist (and enjoy doing them rather than being rushed). Redoing the deck, getting the logs of the cabin back to new, some landscaping and so on. I can't wait. As our kids are in their twenties, they are actually coming back to Mom and Dad for help (and we have suddenly become smart again). Our daughter is looking to purchase her first place and I keep telling her that I'll have the time to remodel whatever she doesn't like about the place she ends of buying. While she is at work, I can be at her place doing whatever needs to be done. Travel is in the plans as soon as my wife decides that now is the time for her to call it quits and enjoy the freedom I hear retirement brings.

Oh, and to make this duck related, I plan to do a whole lot more hunting - during the week, whenever I want not whenever my work schedule allows me to sneak in a couple of hours here and there. Already have places I want to check out and I plan to find the secret spots at our cabin in Chetek Wisconsin where the ducks are plentiful and the hunters few.

Anyway, thanks for reading. the DBHF has been with me for many of these years. Hard to believe.

Mark
 
Congratulations on a long successful career.
I hope retirement treats you well and that you can share the experiences with the ones around you.

Thanks for your work, I'm sure I have used products you have had your hand on, as I work on overhauling the coast guard c-130 aircrafts.

Keep us posted on the progress you make to your projects and adventures.
 
Great,,,,,,,, another retiree jamming up the boat ramp on Monday morning. Actually, I've been the only boat at my local ramp the past three times I've been there. Course it helps keep others away, when the river is three to five feet high and lapping at the parking lot.

Seriously Mark, enjoy the life sans a fixed schedule. Glad life has treated you well.
 
First of all congratulations! You will enjoy the week day boat ramps!

Thanks for posting up your career history, I really enjoyed reading through it as seeing all the twists and turns. That was very interesting to see where you have been. i' have always appreciated the information you have shared with us from your contacts at 3M.

Again, good luck enjoy it!
 
Mark, that is fantastic news. Congratulations to you for being able to retire young and healthy enough to dive into your leisure pursuits full time. What an incredible feeling that must be.

Eric
 
Congrads on your retirement. Time now to do all the things the daily grind got in the way of. If your like myself it won,t be long before you,ll be wondering how you were ever getting anything done and still working. Projects,projects, and a little home work done for good measure. Enjoy these years.
 
That is wonderful to hear, Mark. When I retired I quickly found out how nice it was to go duck hunting Monday through Friday. It will make you smile. You had a nice career at 3M. Congratulations on your thought processes.
Al
 
Congrats Mark. Good read on your work life accomplishments. I too retired this year. May 31st was my last day! 42 years spent in the engineering field is enough. Unfortunately still fighting the great flood of 2019 but many days of deer hunting and ducking are starting to fill my head!
 
Ed L. said:
Congrats Mark. Good read on your work life accomplishments. I too retired this year. May 31st was my last day! 42 years spent in the engineering field is enough. Unfortunately still fighting the great flood of 2019 but many days of deer hunting and ducking are starting to fill my head!

Congrats on the retirement Ed. 42 years - how did you do it. 35 was enough for me.

Mark
 
Congratulation on the pending retirement! Also, your welcome. I'm glad the tens, probably hundreds, of thousands of dollars I've spent on 3M automotive refinish products over the years has been able to support a worth while cause! I've been a believer in "you get what you pay for" and 3M has mostly held up their end of that bargain over the years. I'm sure we use products you have influenced daily. Thank you! Being a very small fish in the sea of 3M consumers it is nice to put a face with the brand.

Best of luck with your new endeavors!
 
Gene Jr. said:
Congratulation on the pending retirement! Also, your welcome. I'm glad the tens, probably hundreds, of thousands of dollars I've spent on 3M automotive refinish products over the years has been able to support a worth while cause! I've been a believer in "you get what you pay for" and 3M has mostly held up their end of that bargain over the years. I'm sure we use products you have influenced daily. Thank you! Being a very small fish in the sea of 3M consumers it is nice to put a face with the brand.

Best of luck with your new endeavors!

Thank you. If you have ever used any of the Perfect It or Finesse It products those would be some of the paint refinishing products I developed in the lab. You will never find a patent on the technology behind those products - secret sauce we never want to disclose in a patent publication. Still secret after 30 years.

Mark
 
Mark,
We use Perfect It and Finesse It products every day. One of the few product lines that was best when first developed. You nailed it the first time around! That's pretty cool to have a legacy product like that as pat of your career.

Gene
 
Mark W said:
Gene Jr. said:
Congratulation on the pending retirement! Also, your welcome. I'm glad the tens, probably hundreds, of thousands of dollars I've spent on 3M automotive refinish products over the years has been able to support a worth while cause! I've been a believer in "you get what you pay for" and 3M has mostly held up their end of that bargain over the years. I'm sure we use products you have influenced daily. Thank you! Being a very small fish in the sea of 3M consumers it is nice to put a face with the brand.

Best of luck with your new endeavors!

Thank you. If you have ever used any of the Perfect It or Finesse It products those would be some of the paint refinishing products I developed in the lab. You will never find a patent on the technology behind those products - secret sauce we never want to disclose in a patent publication. Still secret after 30 years.

Mark

Congratulations Mark. What a great feeling. Wow small world. I used finesse it quite often back in my cabinet shop days for Bringing up a polish on Corian countertops. I actually just broke it out again for this table Im working on. Thanks!

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