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Mound Technical Solutions and Ohio Third Frontier
Growing a Family and an Industry

Kris Collier was not only looking for work. He had a baby on the way and was motivated to find a permanent job that he and his family-to-be could grow with Little did he know that he would soon enter a field that is a primary target for Ohio Third Frontier a leading growth industry for Ohio and the nation: fuel cells.

At 23, Kris was searching for a permanent job. He knew he needed an education and had enrolled in courses to become an Electrical Engineering Technician at Sinclair Community College in Dayton.

In the Dayton area, it's hard not to notice that there is a lot of activity at nearby Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Soon enough, through his course work, Kris was given a co-op job at Wright Patterson, putting him in the center of the action. It was at Wright-Patterson that Kris was introduced to a new program language, LabView, a visual programming language used for things like instrument control and industrial automation. LabView piqued Kris' interest, so when his co-op job ended and he returned to Sinclair, he enrolled in a class specifically about the program to get to know it even better.

At this same time, Doug McClelland, owner of Mound Technical Solutions and an Ohio Third Frontier funding recipient, was looking for a programmer familiar with LabView. Just entering the Fuel Cell field, McClelland contacted Sinclair Community College to find someone who could perform LabView specific tasks. Kris Collier was recommended for the three-week assignment.

What was to be a temporary, three-week assignment has matured into a permanent position for Kris Collier. Mound Technical Solutions needed Kris' LabView expertise in the production of testers for the fuel cell market. Because of the technical assistance and production funding that Mound Technical Solutions received through Ohio Third Frontier programs, Kris Collier has a permanent position and Mound has found the talent that they need to grow. "I needed a job," Collier said. "And at Mound Technical Solutions, I found one that I enjoy."

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