Tell us a little bit about yourself and your current role.

My name is Paul Kenny, from Kilconnell, East Galway, the middle of 3 siblings and son of great parents, a farmer and a National School teacher.

I live in Guadalajara, Mexico, married to Judith for 22 years with 2 children, now almost adults. I am a partner and Managing Director of Pertek-Erler, a manufacturing company which I founded 25 years ago. Our focus is the manufacture of decorative plastic parts for the interior automotive, appliance, and electronics industries with a 24-hour schedule producing more than 1 million parts per month.

What path led you to where you are today?

My path to Guadalajara was very much a progression from graduation from the Polymer Technology degree in Athlone RTC from where I began work as a project engineer in the plastics processing sector, initially with Mergon and subsequently with Data Packaging (now Trend Technologies). That led to opportunities to work on projects for the growing personal computer industry in Ireland and opportunities to travel to the USA to interact with customers and suppliers, eventually leading to a move to Denver, Colorado. I had become somewhat of an expert on the application of conductive coatings to injection molded parts and had the opportunity to work on many projects for laptop computers and the initial cell phones with the major OEMS of the time, including Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Kyocera, and many more. I got to know the industry in the US very well and followed the expansion of the industry to Mexico by supporting the launch of new manufacturing facilities in Guadalajara, which is considered the Silicon Valley of Mexico. Here I saw the opportunity to establish a business to apply coatings to plastics and persuaded my partner to invest. The rest are 25 years of the ups and downs of manufacturing.

What do you love most about the work you do?

What I love most is guiding the successful launch of new projects where our team uses our combined skills and expertise to develop efficient processes to satisfy our customers. Being able to achieve a goal through teamwork and joint effort is rewarding for everyone involved, raising esteem internally and reinforcing our reputation as a supplier who brings real value.

When you're not working, where would we find you?

With family on short trips, with friends, on the golf course, or participating in projects like the Irish Mexican Chamber, the regional junior golf association, and local social projects.

Looking back, how did your time at TUS influence your career or outlook?

First and foremost, it influenced the industry in which I was able to find employment, luckily it was a fast-developing industry at that time and provided continuing opportunities for growth and development as I gained experience. TUS was a positive environment where the professors were mentors and were happy to share their experiences and vision, helped organize our work experience in industry, and guided us through our thesis. We were shown that we could look ahead to having good careers, that our knowledge had value to companies, and that we were well prepared to compete once we entered industry.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates from your field?

Try to find a niche, an area of industry which has need for talent and innovation, an area which interests you and motivates you to learn and develop expertise. Be proactive and not afraid to take some chances with your career, don’t underestimate the abilities that TUS has instilled in you.

What’s one memory from your student days that stands out to you?

The very practical nature of the education received at Athlone RTC with complimentary class and group lab work, showing us how to apply theory in practice and preparing us for working in teams. And of course, a few visits to Brendan’s Bar.

How do you stay connected to the TUS community, if at all?

Very little, the distance does not help. Our graduating class do try to get together from time to time and I remain in contact with several from the class and try to visit them when in Ireland.

What does the idea of an alumni community mean to you?

A social media community where news and events associated with the alumni community are shared and it is possible to support TUS through positive comment or support of specific initiatives.

Finally, what’s next for you?

To keep adapting to my environment, both personal and professional, meaning helping our two young adults complete their studies and start their careers, finding new things to enjoy as a couple, and starting to plan succession at the business. At the same time, I will continue to contribute to the community and share my experience with anyone interested.