Rick Finnie, named Mold Builder of the Year by the American Mold Builders Association, has picked the junior high school in Brea, Calif. — the headquarters city of his M.R. Mold & Engineering Corp. — to receive the $5,000 that Progressive Components gave him to support an education program of his choice.
Finnie grew up in Brea, a town outside of Anaheim. When he contacted Brea School District Superintendent Brad Mason, Finnie was pleasantly surprised to learn that Brea Junior High school has industrial arts classes.
Just before the school year started, Finnie met with Derek Ordlock, the industrial arts teacher, and got a tour of the classroom. Ordlock explained that the money he was getting from the school district as support was no longer available, and the class was doing fundraisers and getting contributions from their parents to buy materials for the metal shop.
Finnie presented the check to Ordlock on Sept. 17. Finnie spoke to the junior high students about the importance of learning any trade, especially manufacturing. He brought out his own metal shop projects from junior high in the Brea classroom. He told the students that he went from doing simple things in metal shop to "cool things" like mold cores and cavities in his own shop.
