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Faces of Interface Featuring Lauren O’Hagan

In today’s Face of Interface, we feature the artist behind Interface’s branded content in all types of formats. Lauren O’Hagan is an integral member of the sales and marketing team, bringing her creative flair and hunger for learning all about the world of force measurement.

Lauren grew up with a highly creative influence in her life. Her mother is an artist and it drove her to express herself through many different art forms growing up including painting, sculpting, jewelry-making and other creations. As Lauren investigated her post-secondary education, she wanted to continue expanding her artistic repertoire by going to school for graphic design and digital art.

She would go on to receive her associate degree from Glendale Community College in Digital Media Arts, followed by a Graphic Information Technology bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University. During her time in school, she also took on a few different internships in both graphic and apparel design. One internship was with a web development company in Maryland.

Following college, Lauren went on to intern for a friend in New Jersey who owned an entertainment company called ‘Jersey Turn’t Up Ent.’ In this role, she continued to apply her graphic design skills to help the company’s brand development. She also worked as a supervisor at Kohls, as well as doing some freelance graphic design on the side.

At the same time, Lauren was applying for full time jobs throughout the Greater Phoenix area. Interface’s Scott Whitworth found Lauren’s application and brought her in for an interview. The two bonded over a similar creative upbringing and interests, and Lauren proved her capabilities and was hired! Lauren really enjoyed making the transition from entertainment and retail to manufacturing, as she is a self-described nerd who loves to learn new fields while still being able to express herself creatively.

In her role as Interface’s Multimedia Specialist, Lauren is responsible for Interface’s creative asset design and development, including brochures, animations, infographics, and application notes. She also manages web development tasks. She is constantly exploring ways to share Interface’s story. She is responsible for the development many of Interface’s new and innovative marketing campaign assets, as well as designing images, digital materials and visuals utilized across a multitude of platforms.

The thing that Lauren enjoys most about working at Interface is the atmosphere and culture. Everyone is friendly, engaging and always willing to help her out when she has questions. She also enjoys the opportunity to work across different departments and with a wide variety of different people.

In her free time, Lauren continues to develop her digital art and sharing it on social media platforms. She also takes pleasure in stocking up her online store with new digital art prints. She is an avid gamer, often playing games with her Fiancé who happens to live in France. The two plans to be married by the end of the year. The highlight of her day is spending time with her family and her four dogs!

We had a wonderful time learning more about what makes Lauren tick and what inspires her outstanding creative work. If you’re interested in learning more about the rest of the Interface team, tune into our blog for the next team member highlight in our Faces of Interface ForceLeaders Series.  For information about Interface careers, go here.

Unlocking the Power of DAQ Webinar

Interface webinar Unlocking the Power of DAQ details trends, best practices and considerations for using data acquisiton in force measurement applications. We explore DAQ instrumentation options, trends and set-up options. Learn why data acquisition systems are growing in popularity for all types of use cases. We also detail the new Interface Data AQ Packs and system options for capturing critical data. Watch the online technical seminar for recommendations on equipment, plus we answser the most frequently asked questions about DAQ in test and measurement.

Testing Lab Essentials Webinar

Interface experts detail standard measurement devices that are essential to all testing labs. They highlight calibration standards and calibration grade equipment, along with instrumentation and data acquisition systems. What types of equipment do you need in the lab to meet the testing demands of today and in the future? Watch this in-depth seminar for recommendations on equipment, best practices, tips, test lab applications and frequently asked questions.

Webinar Recap of Taking Measure of Miniature Load Cells

Interface’s first event of 2023 focuses on a growing line of miniaturized load cells and torque transducers.  The presentation by Brian Peters and Justin Walker emphasizes that though the form factor is small for Interface Minis, accuracy and measurement capacities are high.

Through out the event Taking Measure of Miniature Load Cells, Interface product experts detailed specific applications and use cases for miniature force measurement devices. Interface’s Minis are commonly used across all types of industries from medical device testing to embedded sensors in machines to provide real-time system health and performance data.

Watch the recorded event here.

After inventing the LowProfile load cell more than five and half decades ago, Interface engineers and founder first introduced the miniature s-type load cells in 1974.  How does Interface classify a miniature load cell?

  • Miniature load cells are engineered for use in applications for light touch, light weight, or for less space. 
  • Miniature load cells provide exceedingly accurate measurements similar to our full-size load cells with proprietary alloy strain gages. 
  • Miniature load cells can measure both tension and compression.
  • Miniature load cells and torque transducers are available in a wide range of capacities and models.
  • Miniature load cells are not just small in physical size, they also have a range to test minimal forces with extremely high accuracy
  • Interface defines our trademarked Mini™ Load Cells as anything that isn’t a low profile load cell

The team also covered new products that provide extremely high accuracy measurement in very small envelopes, including our new SuperSC, ConvexBT, the popular WMC and MRT, along with our new Pillow Block Load Cells. They also highlight some of the special options, including wireless and submersible products. Throughout the recorded event, products were introduced to showcase the range and options available for miniature load cells and torque transducers, including:

  • Miniature beam load cells
  • Miniature load button load cells
  • Miniature load washers
  • Miniature tension and compression, compression only load cells
  • S-type load cells
  • Miniature sealed stainless steel load cells
  • Column rod end miniature load cells
  • Torque transducer miniatures

You can watch the entire event online on the Interface YouTube Channel. You don’t want to miss out on the answers to our most frequently asked questions, like do you can you calibrate a load button or can you make a mini load cell without cables (wireless)?  They also give you the details on the smallest measurement capacity for a miniature load cell and the largest measurement capacity for an Interface miniature. Can you imagine a million lbf mini? Tune in to learn more and a special section on do and don’t tips.

Additional Resources

Miniature Torque Transducers 101

New Technical White Paper Analyzes SuperSC S-Type Miniature Load Cells

Interface Introduces SuperSC S-Type Miniature Load Cell

Superior S-Types Webinar Recap and New SuperSC

MTFS Miniature Tension Force Load Cell

WMCF Miniature Sealed Stainless Steel Load Cell

WMCP Overload Protected Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell with Male Threads

Faces of Interface Featuring Eric Cassidy

In today’s Faces of Interface, we share the story about the man behind the money, Eric Cassidy, Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis. Eric has an interesting background rooted in the scientific field and a journey that eventually led him to take a leading position in our Finance Department at Interface.

Eric Cassidy took an unorthodox journey into finance after pursuing an education and early career in chemical engineering. He graduated with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Illinois and went to work for a chemical plant mixing and packaging industrial cleaning supplies. In this role, he was responsible for managing 30 people.

However, Eric realized that this was not what he wanted to do. Rather than sticking it out, he decided to go back to school in the evenings for an MBA in finance. Fortunately, the chemical plant had a great track record of moving engineers in other roles, and he was able to move to a finance role. He stayed with the company for five years.

His background in chemical engineering also allowed him to move to new finance roles within the industry. He served as a controller for 13 years at Ecolab, where he was charged with being a controller for a chemical engineering plant and a few warehouses. When the pandemic hit, he also spent some time working for a bakery for a year before joining Interface.

Eric found Interface when looking for a new job. He lived in Dallas at the time, while his whole family lived in Phoenix. He had never heard of us but found our listing during a job search in the area. It seemed like a terrific opportunity because his chemical engineering degree and background significantly helped with understanding the way things work in a manufacturing facility like Interface’s. As he did more research, he found himself excited about the opportunity due to the level of engineering that goes into our products.

He joined on as the Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis. He quickly got to work revamping the budgets for all departments, performing a cost analysis, and creating a system to help keep better track of financial data. Eric worked hard to review all financial details for Interface to fix material costs and absorption matching to get the budget back in order and improve pricing on products.

Eric mentioned that the work he has done for Interface so far has been a challenge, but it is what he enjoys most about the role. He enjoys taking on difficult problems and finding impactful solutions. As mentioned before, he also genuinely enjoys the level of precision and details that go into the products we make, and he appreciates his role in getting these products in the hands of customers.

Outside of the office, Eric is a big history buff and enjoys reading historical biographies on prominent figures and events in history. When we spoke with Eric, he was digging into Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb. To stay active, he can also often be found working out or hitting one of the many incredible golf courses found here in Arizona.

Eric’s financial and leadership expertise and experience has been critical to Interface and were thrilled to have him on the team.  Learn more about Interface’s excellent staff in our Faces of Interface ForceLeaders series highlighting the individuals across all departments and disciplines making Interface the world’s premium force measurement solutions provider.

ForceLeaders is a registered trademark of Interface, Inc.

Taking Measure of Miniature Load Cells Webinar

Interface force measurement engineers and solution experts host an online discussion focused on products used to withstand one or more conditions related to temperature, cycling, moisture, environmental stresses. Learn about Interface’s stainless steel load cells, environmentally sealed options, submersible test and measurement products, enclosures, wireless capabilities, load pins, intrinsically safe products. We detail solutions used for all types of applications used in industries that include medical device, aerospace and defense, industrial automation, infrastructure, maritime and general test & measurement. We discuss sensors models, capabilities, features and FAQs. We dive into use cases, tips, measurement know-how and OEM products.

Most Popular Interface Support Resources in 2022

In our continued effort to ensure we fulfill the growing demands for products and solutions that meet the needs of challenging and innovative applications, we produced a record number of new support resources and material in 2022. We know that the more we share, the more we empower our customers to find the right products that meet their exact requirements.

In our final recap of 2022, we want to share with you the most frequented and utilized resources found on our website this past year. We also think this will be helpful to bookmark for future reference to easily navigate these commonly used tools and requested pages on the vast Interface website. The following is the top 10 resources used by our test and measurement customers.

Top 10 Interface Resources in 2022

2022 Top ForceLeaders Webinars On-Demand

You can find all of Interface’s recorded webinars, product videos, training support and application videos posted here.

New Resources Added in 2022

Supporting you is a top priority. Interface experts and application engineers are ready to help you, if you are unable to find exactly what you need. Interface has global technical experts available to assist you with your product requirements, systems, support, and questions. Here are a few other commonly used resources you can find online.

“2022 was a record year in many ways for Interface, now in our 55th year of serving the needs for precision sensor customers. We are incredibly grateful for the trust our customers placed in us to support them in creating the world’s most demanding applications, and we are appreciative to our team for their continued hard work and dedication. We look forward to another momentous year in 2023.” Greg Adams, CEO at Interface

Faces of Interface Featuring Dave Reardon

In today’s Faces of Interface series, we are talking to one of the newest members of our distinguished sales team, Dave Reardon, regional sales director. Dave grew up around the force measurement industry and has made his way to Interface after a distinguished career in the aerospace industry.

Dave Reardon has known the world of strain gages since he was young. His father was a long-time strain gage expert in the aerospace industry and Dave followed in his footsteps. He also took a liking to the industry at an early age, participating in CAD classes in high school followed by attending Cal State Long Beach in pursuit of an electrical engineering degree. He ended up finishing his bachelor’s degree, switching to information technologies at University of Phoenix, followed by a master’s degree in business administration from Kaplan.

His first role came as an assistant engineer for aerospace industry giant McDonnell Douglas. His role involved flight test engineering team as needed, until they learned about his CAD skills, at which time they had him primarily doing strain gage drawings.

Over the next 18 years, Dave took his talents across a wide variety of aerospace leaders including Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier, The Boeing Company, and more. His roles varied from instrumentation engineering in flight test, to test directing in avionics development labs, and eventually sales. On the sales side, he was working with systems very akin to Interface’s portfolio including data acquisition, telemetry products, and sensors. He even owned his own rep firm for a time that included a few sensor lines in addition to other testing equipment.

A few months ago, Dave was looking for a new opportunity. He was well acquainted with Interface’s products and when he saw an opportunity to work here, he jumped on it with the help of a referral from a friend. Dave came to Interface as our regional sales director in charge of the East Coast. His long-time work in aerospace industry, and specifically his knowledge of strain gages and sensors, made him a great fit in this role.

His responsibilities include managing sales across the region, working with customers daily to find a solution that is right for their specific needs, working with applications engineers, and managing rep firms across the large territory. Dave works across all industries; however, with his background in aerospace, in addition to automotive, he certainly knows what fits bests for those industries.

Dave has made an incredibly positive impact on our team at Interface. Dave mentioned what he enjoys the most is that he has never worked for a company with better communication internally and throughout our community. He specifically highlighted the marketing team’s ability to continue driving leads as critical benefit of working sales at Interface. He also loves collaborating with customers and seeing the incredible potential of the innovation landscape.

When he is not solving customer challenges with force systems, Dave is usually off traveling. He has visited 46 of the 50 states, as well as multiple countries. He lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, but still loves to vacation in other beach destinations. Italy is his favorite international get away so far, having spent two weeks there back in 2014. Dave also has five grown children, a grandchild, with another on the way.

We appreciate Dave taking the time to speak with us and look forward to watching him flourish here at Interface . To learn more about our incredible team members, check in each month for a new Face of Interface’s feature. You can see all our ForceLeaders here.

Faces of Interface Featuring Robert Hawk

In today’s Faces of Interface feature, we spoke with Robert Hawk, director of information technology (IT). He is responsible for keeping Interface’s business operational using all kinds of hardware and software, which is core to our fundamental success.

Robert was our very first IT guru at the company and since joining the company and has helped modernize our systems to keep our operations running smoothly. We sat down with Robert to learn about his background and get some insight on everything he does for Interface, our customers, our partners, and global network.

Robert’s background in the world of information technology started with his time in United States Army. He spent his early years in the service with the Infantry. When looking for new opportunities and challenges for his career, he switched his military specialty to Communications and IT, and he then transitioned to the Wyoming Army National Guard.

During his time with the National Guard, Robert worked as an Admin NCO for the 115th Fires Brigade and the IT Department at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base Medical Center. While doing all this, he also continued his support of the Communications and IT section as a Wyoming Army National Guard soldier serving on weekends. Thank you for your service! He obtained two Master of Science graduate degrees, one in Computer Information Systems and one in Computer Engineering.

Robert’s transition to the private sector was as an outsourced IT consultant, serving customers in Wyoming and then Arizona. It was a demanding role that required long hours and some travel; however, it was a wonderful experience. He decided that he wanted to spend more time with his family, and this is when he found Interface.

Interface hired Rob as our first official IT guy in 2014. In fact, which was the name of the role at the time – IT Guy! In the eight years since Rob joined Interface, he has brought our technology light years forward to meet the demands of a growing and thriving manufacturing technology brand leader. The company’s investments in IT allowed Rob to modernize our infrastructure, systems and vastly improve our digital efficiency internally, and with customers. One example is our transition from Windows 95 to Windows 11. He and his team are now rolling out an entire ERP system that will create huge efficiencies and capabilities for the 54-year-old business.

His role at Interface includes managing a team of nine information technology people who are responsible for ensuring the business and production is running smoothly, all the time for a 24/7 business. He is committed to always staying on the lookout for innovative technologies to help streamline operations, support continuous improvements, and help stay on the forefront of ways to engage with all stakeholders. He is also keen to keeping Interface on the forefront of information security.

One thing that you will certainly learn from Rob is that he loves his work because he enjoys helping Interface in their role of helping our customers achieve remarkable things across a wide variety of applications.

Robert is a bit of a workaholic, so part of his free time includes learning, recertifying, and reading up on the newest technologies. He is definitely an IT guy through and through. When he gets some time away, his hobbies include giving back to the military community through charity work with veteran’s organizations. He also loves to ride his motorcycle. Most importantly, he spends time with his three kids aged 21, 19 and 12. In fact, the 19-year-old works for us here at Interface!

Robert is a critical member of Interface’s team, and we could not provide the outstanding technology solutions we do without his work on our digital systems. We thank him for his dedication to his craft and to Interface! What keeps him up at night, keeps us running all day!