Concept to Commission – 30 Years in the Making

Jon has literally been with DSI from the beginning. As an integral part of the success of the company, Jon has seen and done just about everything within this industry ‐ his stories are legendary around the office and his mentorship to young engineers is invaluable. A true paragon of hard work and critical thinking, Jon has set the bar high for all those that follow.

What do you like most about DSI?

The wide range of Customers, Projects and Assignments. Many engineers work for companies that manufacture the same product for five years. As an engineer at DSI, you could work for ten different companies, building ten different products during that period. The challenges that come with each project is very stimulating.

How has the industry changed over the years?

Computer Aided “Everything”. As I signed up for my first college classes, one requisite class was, “Introduction to Engineering and Slide Rule”. When I arrive at school for my first semester, the class name had changed to “Introduction to Engineering and Calculators”. After college I started on a drawing board and transitioned to 2D CAD and somehow lost my electric eraser. My first exposure to an electronic spreadsheet was Multiplan, it was a real game‐changer being able to enter data, perform equations, and get results right on the screen. The use of computing platforms in engineering has been, and will continue, to be exciting.

What are some of your favorite memories from work?

Bringing the Chrysler M‐Body to American Motors in Kenosha, Wisconsin was my favorite. AMC was an amazing group to work for. Plus, the AMC Project was a first for DSI to establish an on‐site engineering office. The AMC Project started in 1985 when Personal Computers became functional as CAD workstations, DSI had two IBM AT PC workstations, one large format Calcomp Pen Plotter and a 2400 baud modem. Towards the end of the two‐year project, we had a Compaq 286 Portable PC with a color monitor!

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