When you love your job, time seems to simply fly by. Before you know it, you have a decade of experiences to look back upon—and goals to look forward to achieving.

Nick Heying has been with ATS for 10 years. We asked him to reflect on that time and to tell us about some of his hopes for his ongoing career with the company. Here’s what he had to say:

I ended up interviewing at ATS due to my mom. My mom and Deb [Debra Kiwala, President and Owner of ATS] worked out at the same place and somehow they started talking and my mom had mentioned I was currently applying for jobs after college. What appealed to me about it was the fact it was something new I had never heard about. The technical side of things and travel intrigued me.

I remember the interview going pretty well. I definitely felt a bit overwhelmed and had no clue what the job actually all entailed. However, Deb and Ryan [Ryan Bui, Vice President and Owner of ATS] both seemed like nice and genuine people. I did not end up getting the job right away. They hired another engineer, but I was told at that time if another position opened up, I would be next in line. This was in September and by November, they had called me back and hired me to start on Dec 15th.

The first few months were a bit challenging. There was a steep learning curve and a lot to take in right off the bat. I think it was a group effort to get me up to speed. Training in the office with Bui, reading vibration books on my own, and working with my co-workers to help advance me along. I want to say it was close to a year before I felt comfortable on my own.

When I started, I could be in a sugar factory one week, a limestone mine the next week, and a tire factory the next. I’ve had the opportunity to visit and see a lot of different companies and cities around the US. I also always look forward to our annual company golf outing at the end of August. It’s always a great time getting to see everyone at the same time.

The biggest change has been the innovation and change in technology. Things that were not financially and technologically possible are now. It requires you to stay fluid and flexible in what you do. I see the use of online systems increasing as the technology becomes cheaper and adaptability to every environment becomes easier.

My career goal over the next 5 years would be to continue to advance my knowledge base. Knowledge is key and I still have a lot to learn.<

What makes ATS so great is my co-workers. With ATS being a small company, you get to know everyone on a personal level. It makes coming to work that much better!

At ATS, we are proud of the relationships we build, the challenges we overcome together, and the ongoing opportunities to innovate. Dedicated team members like Nick make it possible for us to provide top-flight service to all of our customers.

Congratulations on 10 years, Nick!