Building a Career at Old World Industries: From Internship to Leadership

Staring down their final year of college, our summer interns arrive at OWI with lots of knowledge but minimal experience in the workforce.

 

Taking the first step into the “real world” can be scary, but we pride ourselves on molding our college interns into confident, prepared professionals who are ready for their careers.

 

We even get the privilege of bringing some of our interns on full-time after graduation, continuing their professional development and filling our offices with young, talented employees who will carry OWI into the future. 

 

Get to know two of our interns-turned-employees, Evan Ferguson and Ben Tio, and see how they’ve grown their careers at Old World Industries. 

 

Meet Evan Ferguson, Product Line Engineer

Evan Ferguson came to OWI as a Notre Dame chemical engineering major and immediately impressed us with his commitment to his responsibilities. Talk about dedication — he commuted two and a half hours (each way!) from South Bend to his internship. 

 

As an intern, Evan was tasked with expanding the QC testing program for diesel exhaust fluid batches, which helped him learn more about the interaction between our labs and manufacturing processes. The experience also helped Evan develop the soft skills that are invaluable in any workplace. 

 

“At the university level, everything's deadline-focused,” says Evan. “Once you get into the corporate world, it’s more about what’s most valuable to the business. Of course, there are deadlines, but you need to learn the nuances of your company and prioritize accordingly.”

 

His hard work and long drives paid off. In the final weeks of his internship, the CTO of Old World Industries offered Evan a full-time position as a product line engineer following his graduation. Evan got to enjoy his senior year of college without the looming stress of the job hunt. 

 

 

Meet Ben Tio, Production Planner

After attending a few disappointing career fairs, Ben Tio went searching online for an internship that would help him get his foot in the door for a career in supply chain, and he found OWI. As a huge F1 fan, it seemed like a perfect fit.

 

His early projects for OWI included a major SKU rationalization project, during which he quickly became familiar with the production planner’s role and tools. Ben loved the fast-paced environment and the ever-evolving challenges, and soon started to see himself building his career at Old World. 

 

“Every day is something new. New problem, new challenge,” says Ben. “It's quick, it's fast, but it’s never boring.”

 

After returning to school, Ben stayed in touch with his mentor, Ariane, and was soon offered a position as a production planner. Throughout his senior year, he took on part-time projects and began training to step into his role full-time following graduation. 

 

 

OWI Company Culture 

As full-time Old World employees, Ben and Evan have continued to hone their skills and make connections that will take them to the next level in their careers — plus, they get to experience the fun and excitement of the automotive industry from the inside

 

Collaboration in the Office

The OWI office is buzzing with excitement every day… well, more like three days a week.

 

With many of our employees enjoying a hybrid work schedule, we take advantage of the days that everyone is in the office to collaborate and connect across teams. From meetings between different departments to our burgeoning Employee Resource Group, there are no siloes to be found here. 

 

“We’re a pretty tight-knit group here at Old World. I’ve worked alongside others on the technical team and then expanded outward to sales and marketing,” says Evan.

 

Mentorship and Career Growth at OWI

Our collaborative work environment also creates opportunities for OWI employees to mentor and learn from each other. As a second generation family-owned business, our core values are still at the heart of all of our operations: creating a work environment that rewards ambition and teamwork.

 

As a young professional, Ben doesn’t have all of the answers, but he does have a team he can rely on to help him solve problems. “Everyone's willing to help out,” he says. “I always have people that I can go to with questions, or if I run into something I've never seen before.”

 

For Evan, the best part of working at OWI is being surrounded by people who share his drive and want to help each other achieve more. “There is definitely an entrepreneurial spirit that values hard work and we’re very goal-oriented,” says Evan. “But it's a really rewarding place to be. We're still family owned, and they really care about people and their employees. A lot of people have been here for over 20 years, and I think that says a lot about the company.”

 

Work Hard, Play Hard

We’re in an exciting industry — why not have some fun with it? 

 

Old World’s presence in the automotive industry gives our employees unique opportunities to experience the excitement firsthand. Each year, PEAK sponsors NHRA drag races and drivers, and we invite our employees to get in on the action. Employees from our corporate office shuttle to the racetrack and watch as PEAK Squad drivers hit high speeds in their state-of-the-art cars.

 

And thanks to our recent feature in the F1 movie, we were able to send all of our employees to the movies with two free tickets to see it. Why do we do it? Because fun is built into Old World’s DNA. Our motto has always been, “Have fun, make money,” and we’re committed to doing just that every day. 

Are you interested in a career at OWI? Check out our internship and full-time employment opportunities! We can’t wait to meet you.