The goal of National Engineers Week is to increase the understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. We asked some of our seasoned engineers about the influences that drew them to the field, memorable career events, and their greatest challenges.
An engineering manager with Gits Manufacturing, Tim House said the appeal of engineering started very early for him. “I had a natural draw to mechanical systems and the need to know how and why they worked from a young age, as early as 4 years old,” he said. “I had a strong desire to create solutions for improving performance.”
House described his biggest focus and passion in life as being centered around engines and general powertrains. “From high-performance small engines for go-kart and garden tractor pulling, to performance engines for auto racing applications, like modified, late model and sprint cars, and diesel engines in agricultural applications, my passion for inventing, creating, and materializing solutions has been driving me from the beginning.”
House believes there really was no question about what his path was going to be in life. “I taught myself how to use early versions of CAD software at the age of 13, and prior to this I would create concepts of cars, chassis, suspension systems and engine parts on graph paper to illustrate and craft my ideas,” he said. “I had the desire to turn my ideas into reality, and I did just that by designing and building an overhead-valve cylinder head for a competition garden tractor that I had also built. Through a network of contacts, I saw the project to completion and am proud to say that my design successfully ran, and ran well on both race gas and eventually nitromethane.”
Throughout his career, House said many people helped shape who he is as an engineer, a leader, and person. “I have had the privilege of working with engineers all around the world in various disciplines, both as colleagues and collaborating with our customers,” he said. “I learned early on what my natural strengths are, and I have focused on maximizing these areas in my engineering career. I often look to others and seek to recognize their strengths, not only to learn from them but also to ask for their help and advice. I believe this is the key to maximizing the results of the products, processes, and solutions we create.”
House enjoys working with his many talented team members around the world. “I thoroughly enjoy being part of a high-performance team that seeks out market needs and in turn creates solutions for our OEM customers’ demanding applications in the on- and off-highway diesel engine market,” he said. “I can confidently say that I am certainly following the path I started out on at an early age and am still very passionate about engineering today.”