Advancing industrial design for a greener, more connected future

United States | Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Reading Time : 3:53 minutes

With four decades of mechanical engineering experience around the world, Mike Connor knows a bit about creating cohesive teams and keeping people motivated. In addition to solid communication, he says the key is showing people that they’re part of something bigger.

Read more insights from this industry veteran on how to ask impactful questions, build successful teams and remain agile in a sector that moves at the speed of light.

Can you tell us about your engineering background?

I graduated from Clemson with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1982. I started my career in Atlanta, where I was able to provide design for several notable buildings, including the world’s tallest atrium (550 feet) at the Marriott Marquis, the former Truist Bank Headquarters Tower and an AT&T data center that transformed from dirt to operational facility in 14 months. I also lived and worked in Singapore for a decade, where they complete projects in half the time than we do here. That experience helps with the timeline-driven work I do at WSP. The key is a continuous flow of communication.

What does the advanced manufacturing sector entail?

The classic definition of the sector is anything that is manufactured inside of a clean room, a specialized product like a drug or semiconductor. A modernistic view of advanced manufacturing centers on the questions we’re asking during design and the ideas that we’re helping clients move forward. Questions such as: What can we do to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint? Can we implement lean manufacturing processes? How can we enhance environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance through this project? As a leader at WSP, I’m using these same questions to inspire our own teams and thinking.

Michael Connor

Senior Vice President, Advanced Manufacturing

United States

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Our success comes down to understanding the specialization needed and providing a connection between the client’s needs and the people that meet them.

The world’s largest silicon carbide materials facility will vastly increase production capacity for semiconductors that power electric vehicles, rail systems and appliances for clients and end users around the world.

What problems do our designers help these clients solve?

Two big ones: Utility resource challenges and speed to market goals. Both are in play for the new John Palmour Manufacturing Center for Wolfspeed. One of our consultants is designing a water system with 80 percent reclaim, severely reducing the need for freshwater and what goes out to the sewer. We can cut down on on-site mitigation infrastructure through utility solutions, too.

Then there’s speed. In advanced manufacturing, especially with semiconductor and pharmaceutical facilities, if you’re not first, you’re last. Clients risk millions of dollars and millions of square feet of empty buildings if tight timelines are not met. Our team has been able to deliver impossible-seeming schedules through an open flow of communication and the ability to have the right team in place from the beginning of a project. There’s not some magical program; delivery comes down to basic blocking and tackling every day. And when you share the bigger picture, teams pull together to work towards those goals.

How does WSP approach advanced manufacturing differently?

WSP’s differentiator starts with a deep understanding of client needs in this sector. From that stems our “best athlete” approach to meeting project needs. We have so many skillsets at WSP, but if the best person for the job – for the client – is a different consultant, I’ll bring them in.

Further, advanced manufacturing projects engage nearly all WSP’s business lines. Inside and out, our team brings next-level multidisciplinary project management ability. Our success comes down to understanding the specialization needed and providing a connection between the client’s needs and the people that meet them.

What excites you about the future of this sector?

The future of advanced manufacturing is unlimited, especially with the geopolitical forces behind the sector. COVID exposed chinks in the global supply chain. Remember when we couldn’t even get rubber gloves? The semiconductor, pharmaceutical and automotive manufacturers are starting to bring their work onshore, here to the U.S. With onshoring comes opportunities around jobs and the labor force, new links in the supply chain, maybe even decisions around the grid and what power is used for. Through this sector, we may be able to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Stevanato’s glass manufacturing facility, which produces insulin pens and vaccine vials, was delivered quickly through early contractor communication and knowledge of the local labor force in Indiana.

What makes a place, and what’s your favorite place?

A place is made from a series of experiences, and my favorite place is the beach. The Hawaii state motto is “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka’ Āina i ka Pono,” which means “The lift of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” I admire that reverence for the land and the connection to the land, sea and sky. That feeling of oneness with nature is what I enjoy in a place.