Folks, today I would like to shift gears from technical discussion and dedicate this blog to an exceptional individual.

Paul Lombardini, our Quality Control Manager, passed away on Tuesday, September 12, very unexpectedly.  This man touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with.  Writing this is surprisingly hard from an emotional standpoint, and exceptionally easy from a content standpoint.

Guest blogger Sue Salvemini is the founder and president of Focal Pointe, Inc., which provides executive coaching, leadership development and business consulting services. 

Climbing the corporate ladder often seems narrow and difficult to navigate. With limited senior level positions and multiple talent striving for the same job, the journey can be overwhelming and often discouraging.

As an individual, you enjoy your work, you like your colleagues, and your company is a great fit. Other than feeling stalled in career advancement, you are happy! So how do you advance and achieve your goals without feeling that your only option is to change jobs or companies? Are there opportunities right in front of you that you may be missing? Are you leading yourself intentionally with a focused direction?

Like the rest of the country, all of us at Joining Technologies were pretty excited to see the solar eclipse yesterday.  But not everyone was able to get their hands on eclipse glasses.  So, to avoid being "Blinded by the Light" (to steal a great song title from Bruce Springsteen), Scott Boynton rigged up a way for all of us to watch the big event safely.  Scott, President of Joining Technologies Automation, used mirrors to project the eclipse through our windows and onto the screen in our conference room.  Check out this short video to see how it worked.

(This post has been updated to include revised dates and locations for the workshop sessions.)

If you’re a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), how do you navigate a career with few role models or mentors?

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, women are 50 percent of the overall workforce but only 24 percent of the STEM workforce. Moreover, 50 percent of women in STEM careers drop out in the first 10 years.

If you’re a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), how do you navigate a career with few role models or mentors?

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, women are 50 percent of the overall workforce but only 24 percent of the STEM workforce. Moreover, 50 percent of women in STEM careers drop out in the first 10 years.

U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy of Connecticut has named Joining Technologies in East Granby, CT as one of Murphy’s Monday Manufacturers.

Murphy’s Monday Manufacturers “recognize the best and brightest of manufacturing in our state,” the Senator said.