
In February 2023, John Barnes opened up a panel discussion at Additive Manufacturing Strategies with a poem. I forgot the brilliance of poetry and thought it was an excellent way to capture an audience for a pending conversation. Since then, I’ve been waiting for my moment.
What you may know about me is that I have spent my career in additive manufacturing sales and marketing. What you probably don’t know is that one of my bucket-list items is to present a self-written poem during a poetry slam. It’s the combination of creativity and fear that I hope to challenge myself with one day.
As a marketer, my job is to creatively reach the target audience with effective messaging that influences action on behalf of my clients. I love what I do and sometimes, I get to really push my creativity and that’s the stuff that really gets me up in the morning. My “Ode to Additive” is my creative intersection between personal and professional paths. I took a swing and I hope that you enjoy the change-up.
Thank you, John Barnes, for the inspiration.
An Ode to Additive
Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands
Technologies, materials, promises, and hope
Oh additive, oh additive, the exaggerated demands
The endless cliches, platitudes and tropes
Industry Four point O
and the manufacturing revolution
The digitization of the factory
That reduces all pollution
The on-demand production
Of parts at the point of need
Or maybe it’s construction
At unimaginable speeds
We are an industry growing
Of that I am so sure
But what I am not knowing…
How will we endure?
Competition is abundant
With technology overlaps
Who is getting funded?
And who’ll have the last laugh?
Talks of consolidations
Mergers and acquisitions
Investor obligations
Stocks and strategic positions
Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands
The research, advancements, and use case applications
Oh additive, oh additive, you still have many fans
The engineers and enthusiasts that’ll last for generations
There are those who push the limits
On materials and designs
And those who’ll never quit
Coloring right outside the lines
We thank you for your service
And commitment to the craft
The ones that preserve us
Afloat on this funny raft
Impacting major industries
Like healthcare and dentistry
Or aerospace manufacturing
With state-of-the-art chemistry
High performance metal powders
Carbon fiber mixtures
Countless engineering hours
Dedicated to tooling, jigs, and fixtures
Oh additive, oh additive, the industry that expands
Cheers to the engineering experts, novices, and pros
Oh additive, oh additive, I believe we are in good hands,
With a healthy optimism with limitless unknowns
Ryan Hayford, Founder of Hayford Consulting, will be participating at the upcoming Additive Manufacturing Strategies business summit in New York, February 6 to 8, 2024. Hayford will be moderating “Panel 1: Post-Processing: State of the Art.”
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