Father and son, Bill and Will Mudd talk to LotusNews about life with LotusWorks and working on the same semiconductor facility.
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bill recalls how he first made his move to the Semiconductor industry the same year that his son Will was born. “I’ve been all over within the industry, in process, facilities, engineering, from one end of the spectrum to the other-” explains Bill as he lists off the multiple roles and locations he has worked in.
Now a CxA and Room Commissioning Manager, Bill joined LotusWorks in 2010, working on the same semiconductor facility in upstate New York where he, and son Will, work today. “It has been a real pleasure to have played my role in seeing the facility grow from its very early stages to where it is today”, he explains.
Probing what inspired Will to follow in his father’s footsteps and join LotusWorks in the same semiconductor facility, he said he didn’t have the most orthodox approach to getting where he is in his career today. “I actually studied pre-med in college specializing in emergency medicine”, Will explains, “I had always been interested in my dad’s work but never really had a real insight into it until we moved to New York and when the opportunity arose to join my dad and LotusWorks on site, I was excited to take my first steps into the semiconductor industry” Will added.
Will joined the LotusWorks team in Malta, New York, in mid-January and is very much enjoying the role so far as a Facilities UTO Coordinator. He walks between 5-12 miles on a daily basis doing his role at the facility. “My position is quite unique as I’m connected to the systems and the tools, so I get to be a part of every element of the facility”. Will explained that he hasn’t looked back since starting the role and sees himself staying within the semiconductor industry in the future.
“I’ve found that LotusWorks places trust in their employees and their abilities to be self-starting. Their level of support is above and beyond, but I’m not micro-managed and I like that” continued Will.
When asked if their roles converge much on site, Bill laughed, “We interface a few times on site but once we’re at work we have our own roles and responsibilities, so I have to remember to take off my dad hat – he doesn’t need my help on site”.
From talking to both men, you can really sense their love for one another, and Bill’s pride in his son’s abilities and work, can only be matched by that of Will’s evident admiration for the great teacher that he had in his father.
When asked if they would recommend working alongside relatives, both Bill and Will had no hesitations. “It has really served to strengthen our relationship”, outlined father Bill, “We often lived apart when Will was younger when I was on long term assignments, so to get this opportunity to have an adult to adult, colleague-like friendship that extends even further than your stereotypical father-son relationship, means a lot to me”.
Outlining what they enjoyed most about working for LotusWorks, both Bill and Will spoke of people management and the benefits of working for a company that cares for its employees. “There is a very real sense of family in LotusWorks, and while, as with every organization, there is hierarchical management, you never feel looked down upon or inferior. Everyone is treated with respect, it makes you feel truly valued”, Bill explains. “The level of competency within our team here is unmatched, and the team don’t see boundaries, instead they see opportunities” concluded Bill.