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Meet Team CMP: Jacob Heaven, Project Engineer

Occasionally, we highlight employees at CMP for their esteemed achievements or for just being awesome. Some of you might recall our vlog with Angelo Pugliese last January. We were able to pull another engineer, Jacob Heaven away from his busy day to find out more about him and his day-to-day.

Jacob Heaven, Project Engineer at CMP since 2014, wasn’t always into engineering. Childhood aspirations included being a rock star and 3D artist. He showed ambition from a young age when he picked up his first guitar at the age of 12. 

Jacob achieved both dreams later in life when he got to play on stage with Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris on the Tonight Show and with his work at CMP. Keep reading to discover more about Jacob and his impact at CMP.

Jacob educating the future generation at White Oak Elementary in Newnan, GA.

CMP: So, Jacob… as a kid, what did you dream about becoming?

Jacob: When I was growing up I wanted to be a rock star guitarist or a 3D artist.

CMP: How did you come to know about and begin working at CMP?

JH: I received a CMP job posting email in 2014 that sounded like a great job, so I applied!

CMP: Have you ever worked in the pool/spa industry before CMP?

JH: Before joining #TeamCMP, I was in the restaurant industry, then engineering services, and then automotive design.

CMP: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

JH: One thing people may not know about me is that in 2004, I played guitar in a band that performed with Ludacris on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

🎞 Watch Jacob rocking out with Ludacris on The Tonight Show!

CMP: You play guitar! Are you in a band? 

JH: I wish I had a band. I play both electric and acoustic. I think I prefer playing acoustic. I really just enjoy songwriting, and I feel that if a song sounds good on acoustic guitar, it will sound good on any guitar! I have been playing since I was 12 years old… I use an phone app to record song ideas (riffs). I have hundreds of them from over the years. I just wish I could find a singer and a band to turn them into actual songs.

PSSST! Jacob keeps an acoustic guitar at the office for impromptu jam sessions. All we need now is a singer and a synthesizer and we’ve got ourselves a CMP band! Who’s in?

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

CMP: Are you crafty? Ex: Woodworking, Cross stitch, Artist

JH: I am a decent drawer and a good 3D artist. I am pretty good at graphic design too.

CMP: It probably helps some with your job that you’re creative! Speaking of that… what is your role at CMP? Take us through a typical day in your job/department.

JH: Along with other members of the engineering group at CMP, I design pool, bath, and spa components from conceptual infancy to full-scale production. I am responsible for a multitude of NPI and ECN projects and for training engineers on how to best utilize our 3D CAD software. Other tasks I perform include product design, managing the 3D printer lab, managing our PDM data vault software, legacy data conversion, product illustrations and manuals, designing product displays, conceptual brainstorming, renderings, detailed CAD drawings that meet ASME 14.5-2009 standards, and more.

via GIPHY

CMP: Science rules! In what circumstances would an employee come to you for something?

JH: Fellow teammates would come to me with product-related questions, to request CAD drawings, prototyping, sourcing, testing, software …and IT help, fixing the printers, taking out the trash, cleaning, organizing, etc. 

CMP: Use three words to describe working at CMP and explain why.

JH: Growth – Since I started in 2014, CMP has undergone unbelievable amounts of growth. When I started, we didn’t have an HR department or a Quality department. We only occupied half of the building and we are now busting at the seams.  

Change – We have undergone lots of change in our daily operations, processes and procedures. Each time we were acquired, the new owners brought in new management who implemented all new processes. We changed ERP software. We built all new engineering and quality control processes. We changed our IT backbone completely.

Family – Ever since the days of Bill and Charles (Dr. Bill Drury and Dr. Charles Li, co-founders of CMP), this company has felt like a tight-knit family. We all care about each other and have each other’s back.  

CMP: What is your favorite part of your job?

JH: When I get to design products from a mere idea all the way to seeing the parts in stock, and then seeing the products become well-received by the customer. It’s a very rewarding feeling!

CMP: Do you have pets?

JH: We have 3 pets! A 14-year-old dog, Roscoe, a 1-year-old kitten, Chia Seed, and a 15-year-old tortoise, Link.  

CMP: If you could add one thing to the CMP office, what would it be? (a gym, merry-go-round, test spa)

JH: A lounge area with video game tournaments would be an awesome addition to CMP.  

CMP: What a fantastic idea!

via GIPHY

CMP: What’s it like working with pool and spa products, customers, and industry professionals?

JH: This is an enjoyable industry. I think pool builders are a little challenging to support. They need to read instructions! (We cannot agree more!)

CMP: What’s your guilty pleasure while at work? We were gifted a gourmet coffee station and we bring in whole coffee beans to grind fresh… feel free to come try it out with us!

JH: I am guilty of distracting myself with Scrabble on my phone! I still get lots of work done, and distractions help me in moderation. 

Jacob enjoying a Falcons game with his family.

Thanks again Jacob for taking time to share a little about yourself with all of us. We’ll check back in with you down the road for updates!


MORE INFORMATION

Interested in working with Jacob and other awesome folks at CMP? Visit our career page to see open opportunities.

Find out more about CMP In the News. Look for @cmppoolspa on social media and follow us to keep up with all things CMP.

 

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