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Health & Fitness

Cryoquips and Edison Quotes: A Murrieta Plant Tour

The brisk coolness of an early Thursday morning, coupled with my child-like anticipation of a guided tour of the Cryoquip manufacturing plant was enough to put the spring in my high-heeled step. Many times I've driven right on by the Jefferson Avenue manufacturing plant, briefly pondering the nature of the extremely c-c-cold products the company sells, based on the company name prefix, 'Cryo'. 

To be website exact: Cryoquip [founded 1961] is a consummate vaporizer and cryogenic equipment fabricator and manufacturer providing a global supply capability from strategically located local world- wide sources. Cryoquip's capabilities are unsurpassed in the industry.  Cryoquip.com

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 Strategically click-clacking across the parking lot to the main entrance, I crossed paths with a white-haired, well-dressed mass of unharnessed, congenial energy.            

"Well, good morning. Fine day, isn't it? I'll see you up there," said the man, smiling from ear-to-ear.  He waved as his unbuttoned suit jacket made for pin-striped wings flapping behind him, sounding of faint applause. I looked downward to see if he was wearing Heelys.  He wasn't.

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Mr. Bruce Coleman is the effervescent economic development director for the city of Murrieta. His role is to attract and to foster local, private sector businesses  What does that entail?  

"When we [City of Murrieta] support the private sector businesses, jobs are created. That's a part of the foundation of Murrieta's economic base. We help to optimize business growth here in Murrieta. What better place?" said Coleman.  If you're a numbers kind of person, here's the link to a few, Murrieta factoids: Murrieta Demographics

I digress. Mr. Coleman is a man-about-town. I'd do well to invite readers to Google the noteworthy and affable Bruce Coleman. I'd say he's in a business class all by himself, but Kimberly Davidson is Murrieta's business development manager and public information officer. The team makes for a dynamic, economic development duo. 

Meanwhile, walking up the steps to Cryoquip's main lobby, the maintenance crew busily prepared seating on the dais. Shaking hands and greeting the guests slowly filtering through the front door, Mr. Patrick Billman directed us to the Starbuck's coffee and mini-muffins kindly set up by Rebecca, who works in the front office of the company's world headquarters: 25720 Jefferson Avenue, Murrieta, California.  

World headquarters? Yesiree. Cryoquip is an international corporation with four more U.S. plants: Houston, Texas; Atlanta,Georgia; Imperial and Allentown, Pennsylvania.  CryoCanada East (Toronto) and CryoCanada West (Alberta) are company locations in Canada: Cryoquip Locations & Sales Support 

"We're remodeling the conference room upstairs. We'll get the tour going after Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez arrives," said Mr. Billman, ensuring hospitality.            

Well, color me happy with Starbuck's coffee, the mini-muffins and assorted Danish.  I became more giddy (maybe it was the caffeine) when I got a look at the Cryoquip gift table akin to the gift room at the Academy Awards (as if I've ever been).  Hey! Via the Web, I've seen the celebrities sifting through the glittering baubles, high fashion items, fragrant potions and ornate PENS! I'll take pens (this writer's delight) over a stiletto pair of black shoes or an oversized, mango orange-colored purse, any day (mainly because the ankles and shoulders ain't what they used to be).   

Pens are much safer as is the marketing collateral; a must for verifiable research.  Ahhhhhh. Ohhhh.  A small, columnar, glass sculpture with a ghost-like vaporizer suspended in the middle, ensconced in its own cushioned, fabric-lined box.            

I know very little about manufacturing, save for what I (briefly) studied in business school. Thus, an alluring writing expedition awaits. I'm always open to learn something new from the experts. 

"We've got a lot of things on the table for everyone.  We'll put it in a bag for you. Make sure you get one before you leave," said Mr. Billman, leading us from the lobby back out onto the dais, where Joseph Mignone, (Mr. M.) of JFM Global and president of the Riverside Manufacturer and Export Association (RMEA) addressed the tour guests.  

I like observing fanfare. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez bestowed an award of recognition to the organization.  Mr. M. made mention of the RMEA and the importance of manufacturing to the local and global economy. 

"Think of the manufacturing of electronics, aircraft and automobiles for example. Then we have things like energy, oil and gas, food, beverages, clothing, fertilizer. Well, the list is virtually endless. We want to offer our members of the southwest cluster of the RMEA plant tours such as this, more educational functions and networking opportunities," Mignone said. You can check out the website: RMEA Southwest Cluster for further information.          

As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau: "The manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products."  Manufacturing Descriptions US Census Bureau.  

Transformation of materials define manufacturing. Keeping things simple on my end, I immediately think of a boxed chocolate cake mix, adding eggs, water and oil as the recipe directs, pouring the batter into a pan, placing it into the oven...viola!  Transformation of the ingredients into a frumpy, floppy blob. Thank heaven bakeries are manufacturers, too.  Global Bakery Manufacturing Stats           

According to the US Census Bureau: "12 million Americans work in the manufacturing sector earning an average of $77,000 per year, plus benefits.  Further, the workers produce $1.87 trillion, or 11.9%, of the nation's economic output (GDP). The U.S. is the world's largest manufacturer, at 18.2% of the total.  American manufacturing alone produces more than the entire economic output of Canada or Mexico.  U.S. manufacturing workers are the most productive in the world, thanks to increased use of computers, robotics and efficient processes."           

U.S. manufacturers perform two-thirds (66%) of all private-sector research and development leading to corollary innovation, like redefining processes, streamlining work flow, decreasing costs of production and designing a better mouse trap.           

Thomas Edison said, "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."   I don't know how long, exactly, it took Edison to invent the light bulb, the switches, the circuits and the various filaments. However, Edison's first demonstration of an incandescent light bulb happened in December of 1879.

The prolific inventor filed 1,093 patents to include the phonograph (record player) and a kinescope (motion picture tube).  Thomas Edison Inventions

Remember 35 mm film? VHS video cameras and players?  Crucial, manufactured components --flash bulb, audio, video and still photo capability – are affordable and more compact on my digital, Canon camera. I'm able to record a fabulous tour and Cryoquip learning session. Amazing.

                                              To Be Continued

       Lynda StarWriter is a freelance write and public speaker based in California.          
starwriter.enterprises@aol.com / lyndastarwriter@aol.com
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