Pete Schmid of A&M became one of The Manufacturer's Top 100 role models at the NEC on 7 June 2023.
81 years young and working full time, what an inspiring role model.
Pete's entry:
Pete Schmid is a unique role model with a lifelong enthusiasm for manufacturing. Pete is 81 years young and works a 40 hour week as a finishing craftsman at A&M EDM, precision engineers in the West Midlands.
Pete was born in Switzerland and his first engineering job, aged six was straightening nails for his father. He started his career as an apprentice toolmaker for a Swiss optical instrument company.
After national service Pete moved to a sub-contract engineering company and learned milling and turning. Aged 22, he came to Birmingham to operate Swiss diamond milling machines to manufacture jewellery.
This began a 40 year association with the jewellery industry as Pete developed manufacturing innovations. He made a tool to manufacture hinge clip earrings, reducing the operations from three to one. Pete also developed a patented hinge mechanism for lockets, transforming the assembly time from 10 minutes to 30 seconds.
Pete retired but missed the challenge of applying his engineering skills and then joined A&M at the age of 67 as a finisher, deburring components after wire erosion. Pete is still going strong 14 years later, inspiring younger staff with his craftmanship and applying his finishing skills to a wide range of materials and components.