Winona Daily News: Peerless Chain connects employee Andy Wolfe with a Mechatronics degree from Minnesota State College Southeast

By Katryn Conlin for the Winona Daily News
November 13, 2024

Andy Wolfe, a maintenance electrician at Peerless Chain, expresses pride in his company's work. "We make every kind of chain -- from overhead lifting chains, to military grade tank chains, to the chains that hold jets on an aircraft carrier," he said. "You've probably seen photos of a helicopter lifting a Humvee for transport - those chains are made right here in Winona."

Wolfe has moved forward steadily in his career at Peerless Chain by taking the initiative to go back to college at Minnesota State College Southeast, first for a diploma in Welding, then for a degree in Mechatronics.  

But what is mechatronics?

"Most people who have heard the term 'mechatronics' are aware that it has something to do with programming and robotics," Chris Schwertel, an instructor at the college, explained. "Mechatronics takes in all the mechanical aspects of a maintenance position and adds the automation controls and robotic programming that is necessary in today's industry."

Three generations

Careers at Peerless Chain run in Andy Wolfe's family. "My grandpa worked here for 38 years. He started at Peerless in 1966. My great aunt worked at the front desk, my aunt drove a forklift, my uncles worked here, and now I'm here - the third generation." 

Wolfe started at Peerless part-time in shipping when he was 18, moving into full-time work first as a general production worker, then in a maintenance utility role. Along the way he earned his Welding diploma at Southeast. 

He said his experience as a general production worker was helpful as a maintenance mechanic.

"You go from developing a finished product to working on the machines that make the product. To a large extent, routine maintenance is done by the operators. They are very skilled and know their machines," he explained. "If something doesn't seem right to them, they call us right away. It helps coming off the floor because you already know how the machines work." 

Moving up with a college degree

Wolfe's supervisor asked him if he would like to go further in his career with the company. Since an associate degree is required to work as an electrician at Peerless, he went back to Minnesota State College Southeast to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics. 

"Most semesters I went to college almost full-time and worked full-time to get that degree, but it was worth it. Mechatronics is a broad program with a lot of different skills in machinery, equipment, and programming," Wolfe said.

"You learn pneumatic and hydraulic systems, testing and replacing motors and motor control systems, working with Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and Human Machine Interfaces (HMI)," he continued. "I apply all of those skills at Peerless Chain almost every day."

Peerless covered the cost of Wolfe's education through tuition reimbursement. "I paid up front for my classes. You really take ownership of it more when you have to pay for it first!"

Wolfe appreciated his classes with instructor Andy George, saying, "He's a phenomenal teacher; he keeps things moving at a good speed. He's good at helping you without giving you all the answers."

Giving back to the college

As a successful graduate of the program, Andy Wolfe now serves on the advisory committee for the Mechatronics program at Minnesota State College Southeast ― giving back to the program that has helped him advance in his career at Peerless Chain.

Ann Nelson, Director of Human Resources at Peerless, emphasized that the company encourages its employees to take advantage of training opportunities. 

"We provide tuition reimbursement for higher education because we need people to grow," she said. "The production floor is our employment pipeline. We need people who want to work - who would be proud of what they do and proud of what we do."

For more information about the Mechatronics program at Minnesota State College Southeast, go to www.southeastmn.one/program/Mechatronics-Technology.