Surrounded by the rhythmic hum of CNC machines at Rekluse, Boise motorcycle parts manufacturer, Dan Thompson cuts a friction disc, for a clutch, out of aluminum using a carbide tool to within half the thickness of a human hair. “Piece of cake,” he says with a smile.
Thompson, a graduate from College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Machine Tool Technology Program in 2017, has been working at Rekluse for close to a year. He started at the company during his second year at the College.
“We like to get students after the first year of CWI’s program,” said Rekluse President, Sean Brown. “Students spend the morning taking classes and in the afternoon they come work for us, so when they graduate they’ve got the schooling and on the job training they need.”
Before Thompson started his training at CWI, he worked as a firefighter, furniture mover, and welder.
“I like working with my hands,” he said.
As coolant splashes over the carbide tool as it cuts—carbide is a strong metal used to make industrial cutting tools as well as ski poles and surgical tools—Thompson watches through a clear protective screen as the tool sinks into the metal. He blocks out the sounds from the shop to focus on his CNC machine. Once he gets the machine dialed in, a robot repeats the same process multiple times and he moves to another CNC machine to work on a different part.
“As a machinist, a lot of the stuff you do you can’t see, so you listen for it,” said Thompson. “I can hear when the tool is cutting the material properly.” These are the skills he learned while studying his craft with Dave Sperry, an associate professor in the Machine Tool Program at CWI.
Sperry was impressed with how quickly Thompson developed a fluency in the computer programming needed as a CNC operator and his ability to stay focused under pressure.
“He was a really good test taker, he didn’t freak out,” said Sperry.
This concentration helped Thompson win a gold medal at the SkillsUSA Championships this past June, in Louisville, Kentucky.
More than 6,000 high school and post-secondary students from around the nation competed in 100 hands-on trade, technical, and leadership games, according to the event’s website. Sperry, who also dedicates time as a SkillsUSA advisor, worked with Thompson to prepare for the CNC Milling Specialist event during the competition and develop strategies for efficiently completing the test. Success at SkillsUSA provided Thompson with a great launching pad for his new career.
With past jobs, Thompson had unconventional hours, limiting time spent with his wife and two children. In his new role, he works traditional hours during the week. The company is flexible with his schedule, so he has more time to spend with his family.
Rekluse, founded in 2002 by Al Youngwerth, is a company specializing in clutches for motorcycles. They sponsor some of the best motocross riders in the world and are based in Boise. The company’s facility is a one-stop shop with all aspects of production, from design concept to shipping finished products, centered in a nondescript building along West Franklin Road.
“Our founder Al, realized very quickly we had to manufacture the product for ourselves,” Brown said. “If we wouldn’t have done that, I don’t think we would be where we are at today - manufacturing our product in Boise is a fundamental aspect of our business.”
Students like Thompson are a great fit for the company and shine in the creative environment, collaborating with engineers to improve production.
“We can process a part from start to finish a lot faster because of the lines of communication we have with our engineers,” he said.
Innovative businesses, like Rekluse, are critical to the continued growth of the Treasure Valley. Thompson’s investment in his education provided the foundation he needed to explore a new opportunity in a rewarding field, ultimately leading him to a career with a fantastic company.