| Forming Focus — John Gaspervich, VP of PCC-AFT ThixoForming Division  It's safe to say that John Gaspervich, Vice President of AFT's ThixoForming Division, knows his way around metals. With a background in net shape high-density powder metals processing, he was one of the first people hired by AFT in 1987 when the company was founded. Involved initially as a technical resource to help develop AFT's MIM process, he soon came on full-time to develop the basic MIM binder system, de-binding process and sintering techniques. As AFT grew, he managed the MIM manufacturing operation and worked on several joint venture technology transfers with foreign companies, eventually running AFT's Composites Business before running the ThixoForming Division after AFT acquired the technology. Growing up in Sacramento, California, John got an early start in metal forming technologies his last year of high school, working part time at Aerojet, a rocket engine manufacturer who had developed the technology for producing high-density net shaped PM parts. As John describes it, his career in metal forming started by accident. "I had no manufacturing experience, but I was armed with imagination, creativity and a good dose of common sense," John says. "I was lucky enough that my talents were spotted by a mentor who helped me develop my expertise." When Aerojet's PM technology was sold to a private company, John was asked to join them when the company moved to Detroit, Michigan. Attending university while working full-time at the company, he says his best education was the hands-on experience he received on the job with manufacturing and product/process development. "I never have gotten around to finishing my degree," John says. "But I was allowed the opportunity to advance and become a technical leader in the field because of the opportunities that were presented. I have never forgotten the many people along the way who gave me the opportunity to prove myself." John eventually went on to help found a manufacturing company that sold products made from high-speed steels and titanium alloys using PM technology. He sold his interest in the company and soon after joined AFT. For John, the most exciting and rewarding aspects of the job is pushing the limits of technology. Not content with the status quo, he states that he constantly embraces change and new ideas. "My whole career has been about doing things that no one else has done," John says. "There is a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction in taking an idea or concept and turning it into something tangible that will benefit others in some way. And I don't enjoy working with people who have a lack of vision or have difficulty with change. New ideas and the change that is associated with them will keep AFT and its people growing." Even outside of his work, John continues to set his vision high, working out problems in the mountains on rock and ice. Taking advantage of Colorado's mountains, John describes his passion for climbing as a way to push boundaries that can carry over professionally. "I love being in the mountains and found that ice and rock climbing is a way to enjoy them year around," John says. "I have learned many lessons practicing this sport that have benefited me personally and professionally. One aspect of the sport that I find appealing is that when you are doing it you need total concentration. I find that hanging off of a frozen waterfall from a few sharp points is a great way to focus — and you also need to trust the folks around you in order to archive a goal. My life is many times in the hands of my partners and theirs in mine. The most important lesson I have learned is that taking risk is not a foolish thing as long as you have thought it through. No one ever had a great achievement without taking risk." It's this adventuresome spirit, shared by many who live and work in Colorado, that John says gives AFT a particular edge. As he describes it, it's a spirit that carries over into their professional lives and makes them ideal for pioneering the new technologies AFT offers. John attributes much of the enjoyment he gets out of working at AFT to his colleagues. Describing them as creative and hard-working, he says that he values the open dialogue they have with each other that allows them to push each other to higher levels. "No one is shy to express their views or ideas, which keeps us making the changes necessary to improve and grow," John says. But according to him, one of the greatest rewards he receives from working with his people is to be able to afford them many of the same opportunities he was given when first starting out. "I have a number of talented people working in my group that are just beginning their careers," John says. "My main reward is to be able to provide them with the same opportunity that I was given and see them succeed." John says that he sees these people as the future of the company and of even greater technologies. "We have a lot of unbridled talent here just waiting for the opportunity to show us what they can do" he says. "I would like to see AFT continue to capitalize on new ideas and technology that will give these folks the opportunity to shine." As always, setting his sights to the sky — and surely succeeding. | 
