Most people associate me with the design engineering part of the business; however, I have always had a deep connection with and affection for manufacturing. Without the manufacturing people we could not deliver anything. Not only could we not make the production engines, but neither could we make the initial development engines. The contribution of manufacturing to the development of the jet engine was much more than simply doing what the designers described. Materials engineers had to develop materials that were tougher and stronger than anything anyone had imagined. Then manufacturing engineers had to find ways to cut, drill, and machine these most extreme materials to make the parts the design engineers conceived. This not only took incredible focus and dedication, but it also involved considerable financial risk. To make some design concepts work efficiently and cost effectively over the long haul, we knew we would need novel materials and processes, but usually no one could predict with any certainty whether an engine in development would see extensive production. Spending money and energy to develop materials, manufacturing processes, and tooling that would only pay off after a long production run was a risk that had to be weighed carefully. Luckily for us, working together, the design engineers, the materials labs, and the manufacturing people came up with the right answers more often than not.