Farewell Rocky Mount, Hello Charleston, SC

I had teased my Twitter friends a few days ago that I had big news to share, but not until Monday. So, now that family and my co-workers have been notified, I can share this news publicly.

I have accepted a job with Cummins Turbo Technologies in Ladson, SC (just outside of Charleston). I am working with RMEP on a transition plan, so I do not have an official start date as of yet. My management are working on a plan to backfill my job, and then I will be able to move. I do not expect it to be allowed to go on too long, so I fully expect to be moved within the next couple of months.

The position I have accepted is as a Supplier Quality Engineer in the VPI group. This means I will be responsible for the incoming quality of parts used in newly developed turbochargers. This will include making sure that the suppliers have adequate processes and documentation to produce high quality parts, which is known as APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) in the automotive industry, and I will be responsible for on-time completions of product PPAP’s (Pre Production Approval Process) on new parts. This is similar to the work I have done all through my career, but isolated to a smaller component.

As this is an intra-company transfer, I received a nice relocation package which will make the transition much smoother for my family and I. So, if all goes well, I hope that by this summer, we are moved to one of the areas around Charleston (Ladson, Mount Pleasant, etc.) and will be able to focus on this next step of my career.

Leaving our families behind (again) is obviously the hardest part of this process. Part of the reason we came back to Rocky Mount was to be closer to our families. Unfortunately, Brandi and I have concluded that we do not want to raise our family in Rocky Mount. It no longer feels like the town I grew up in. The crime is getting out of control. The city council is as divided and self centered as I have ever known, and the path they are forging for Rocky Mount does not feel to be a positive one. The school systems are not functioning to the level I expect, and in general, Rocky Mount is no longer a nice place to live. The “City On The Rise” is now a “City On The Demise,” and we have decided to cut our losses and get out when it made best sense.

Being separated from family will be made easier by modern technology though. My side of the family is already a heavy user of Skype. We use this to keep in touch with my brother and his family in England. We will just have to get Brandi’s family set up, and it will be like we are all in an episode of the Jetsons, talking to each other on the computer. As Charleston is only 4 1/2 hours from Rocky Mount / Wilson, it really isn’t that far of a drive to visit. We have already been told to find a house that has enough room for a real guest room, so that will be looked at when we start home shopping.

So, at the end of the day, it will be an exciting, emotional, and stressful time, but I honestly do believe that this is the right move for my family and I. As another plus side, I will finally have AT&T 3G access on my iPhone!