Published: Wednesday, Jul. 08, 2009
Biz Buzz: SLO high-tech company honored for part in laser-fusion research
Next Intent named a top manufacturer of innovative technology by industry group
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closeNext Intent, a San Luis Obispo high-tech company best known for making some of the nuts and bolts in the wheels of the Mars land rover, was recently honored as one of 100 companies using outstanding technological innovation in progressive manufacturing.
The company got the attention from the Managing Automation Media because of its part in a laser-fusion research project by the U.S.
Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, said Rodney Babcock, the company’s president. That program is based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Bay Area.
“Our responsibility was to build the actuators which will control the mirrors on the world’s largest laser,” Babcock said. “The mirrors will focus the laser on a designated target. The primary goal of the project is to create a miniature star on Earth.”
The Progressive Manufacturing Awards Program, now in its fifth year, recognize best-in-class manufacturers from the U.S. and abroad.
Other Next Intent projects include:
• Helping to build the suspension system for the Mars Science Laboratory, to launch in 2011 (which received an award from the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory in May).
• Building components for an actuator that will control a laser beam for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in Livingston, La., and Hanford, Wash.
• Providing the hardware components to mitigate oscillation and vibration of the first-stage rocket for ARES 1, for the next moon missions, starting in March 2015, according to Babcock.
— Melanie Cleveland
Team spirit earns manager honor
Kristi Messina, marketing administration manager for Heritage Oaks Bank, was honored by Quota International of San Luis Obispo County as employee of the year. Messina was selected from employees in San Luis Obispo County.
In an announcement from the bank, senior vice president of marketing Mitch Massey said, “Kristi has been a part of the Heritage Oaks banking family for 11 years. Her attitude, effort and teamwork spirit symbolize the genuine personal connection the entire bank strives to achieve each and every day in everything we do.”
— Julia Hickey
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