Clay Guillory, Ӱר12, had clear goals in mind to follow his passion and achieve his dreams.
ӰרI decided to pursue engineering because I loved to make things work and wanted to make a difference in how products are made,Ӱר he said. ӰרAlong with my passion for engineering came another dream: to work at BMW as an engineer. So, I enrolled in the German program at UL Lafayette to pursue that dream.Ӱר
He chose UL Lafayette because of the proximity to home and the impressive academic opportunities.
ӰרWhen you have excellent programs and opportunities right in your own backyard and a place that you love, the decision to attend UL Lafayette was an easy one.
ӰרUL LafayetteӰרs mechanical engineering program is renowned across the South,Ӱר he said. ӰרAnd what better language to learn for engineering than German? Germany has some of the most well-known companies in machinery and automotives in the world.Ӱר
A Cultural Exchange
As Clay earned his degrees, German professor Dr. Caroline Huey suggested he apply for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX). Over eight months, Dr. Huey mentored Clay in German history, literature, culture, and language to prepare him for the exchange.
ӰרI was selected for the CBYX program and the experience was life-changing. She knew the journey I was about to embark on, and she prepared me to go to Germany with all the tools that I would need to be successful,Ӱר he said. ӰרWithout her mentorship, I do not believe that I would have been accepted into this program or accomplished as much as I did on this year abroad.Ӱר
ClayӰרs exchange program also put him on track to achieving his dreams early: In 2009, he interned at the BMW headquarters in Munich, where he worked on the BMW X3.
ӰרNot only did I have the chance to immerse myself in German culture and make lifelong friends, but my dream of working at BMW was realized,Ӱר he said. ӰרThis move to Germany completely altered my view of the world. It opened my mind to new cultures in Europe and beyond. It taught me that exploring is not only a way of life during vacation but should be done daily.
ӰרAnd for that, I am forever thankful to Frau Huey.Ӱר
The German Perspective
Outside of class, Clay joined the German Club and participated in the weekly Stammtisch to practice his German skills with other students.
ӰרDuring Stammtisch, the topic is always open and varies, helping students learn many conversational words auf Deutsch (in German),Ӱר he said. ӰרParticipating in this group and practice helped me when I traveled to Germany and would have a similar experience sitting around a table conversing with German friends and their families.Ӱר
Those skills also helped in his career.
ӰרThe ability to communicate around the world in a second language is invaluable, from trade show events to building customer relationships,Ӱר he said. ӰרThe German ability I acquired at UL Lafayette has helped me to communicate with business contacts and friends almost weekly."
ӰרLearning about and understanding another culture is also very important in broadening your worldview and working with others, especially customers or colleagues that have a different background than you might have,Ӱר he said. ӰרBeing able to communicate and relate to others is so important, not only in business relationships but personally as well.Ӱר
The Engineering Perspective
While Clay gained a lot from his German degree, his mechanical engineering degree fulfilled his passion and career goals of designing and building machinery and manufacturing systems.
ӰרMy senior design project was building a wave generator system,Ӱר he said. ӰרThe goal was to design a device which would be tested in a lab on campus and could eventually be mounted to offshore oil platforms to generate electricity onboard.
ӰרWorking on this project taught me about teamwork and motivating a group of people toward a common goal that had many technical moving parts Ӱר both literally and figuratively,Ӱר he said.
ӰרThis project was both challenging and rewarding as our team worked to provide a real solution and make a difference in creating cleaner energy.Ӱר
Clay also built an off-road race car as part of the SAE Mini Baja team at UL Lafayette. The team competed in a four-hour endurance race with the car, facing off against some of the countryӰרs biggest universities. In a few competitions, the team placed top ten.
ӰרThe experience of designing, fundraising, fabrication, and ultimately traveling across the continent for this event is an incredible experience,Ӱר he said.
Engineer & Entrepreneur
Clay added ӰרfounderӰר and ӰרCEOӰר to his list of titles at a young age. After graduation, he began working at one of the countryӰרs top five-axis CNC machinery companies.
ӰרThis passion for machinery led me to building 3D printers in my garage as a hobby,Ӱר he explained. ӰרThis hobby soon grew into a passion and eventually a business.Ӱר
In 2014, when he was 26, Clay founded Titan Robotics. As an industrial 3D printer manufacturer and solutions provider, Titan works with top companies across the globe in advanced industries including in aerospace, automotive, government, medical, defense, and more.
Some of his earliest work also included 3D printing prosthetic hands for children with missing limbs through the non-profit E-Nabling the Future.
ӰרI made the leap from engineer to entrepreneur,Ӱר he said. ӰרWhat began as a garage start-up has transitioned to a successful small business. Titan Robotics has grown into a global leader in manufacturing industrial 3D printers and providing additive manufacturing solutions to industrial customers. This growth is due to our advanced technology and TitanӰרs amazing team that is continuing to grow.Ӱר
