Sports, Programming & Hot Beef Sandwiches

Tony Lowe knows his way around a golf course, a Quality Assurance Department, and a CMM Programming platform. He’s had an interesting journey to getting where he’s at today, part of which includes programming robots! As a Master Inspector for IIA Lab Services, he’s been right where he’s supposed to be for the last 14 years.

Out of high-school, Tony worked for a company that made hydraulic transmissions, and, thinking he might want to be an accountant, he took classes during the day and worked at night. As his career progressed, he took on more responsibilities within the company within the QA department. During that time, as Tony tells us, “My boss saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself, which is when I began the journey to becoming a CMM Programmer.”

He’s not an accountant, but he certainly didn’t shy away from numbers at all. Tony says that “back in the day,” the training was truly “do and learn.” When there were software upgrades, he traveled to different training seminars to learn how the new program worked. Tony says he, thankfully, took a chance because of what his boss saw in him, and “here I am 33 years later!”

Tony enjoys the variety and challenges his job provides each day. He’s always got plenty on his To-Do List, whether it’s responding to or sending emails, making phone calls to provide technical explanations or other support to customers, or making sure inspections are completed. But his favorite role is still as CMM Programmer. Long gone are the days that “a print-out with numbers all over it scared the heck out of” him.

His passion for the programming aspect of his job is apparent, and because just about every kind of product under the sun comes to IIA, he is never bored. Tony explains, “If you can imagine it and make it, we can measure it.” He loves the challenge and also, he says, “the variety is great, but the people I work with make all the difference.”

In a way, Tony’s appreciation for his colleagues’ attitudes and high-standards, and his own proudest professional moment, intersect with one another. One particular customer appreciation moment stands out for Tony: a group of customers took the time to write a letter to his GM acknowledging his professionalism and attention to detail on their project. This seems to be standard protocol for Tony and his colleagues. They were recognized as Suppliers of The Year, only a handful of years back, by a Multinational Conglomerate. This is quite the accolade and quite the testament to Tony’s love of his work and his dedication to providing memorable and professional service in his role here at IIA.