Working on conveyor systems for Michelin, R&D for a next-gen ketchup packet filling machine, HMI and PLC updates for BMW – Ernest gathered lots of diverse hands-on automation experience while working on his Electrical Engineering degree at Clemson University. After graduation in 2010, Hartness International scooped him up as controls engineer for their systems solutions group. Working on many large-scale, high-speed canning and bottling lines must have been what ignited his interest in beer brewing. Being a true engineer however, he wasn’t satisfied with a dinky home brew started kit, but instead designed and built an impressive all-electric home beer brewing system. Welding and metal fabrication, otherwise a hobby used for his many karts and buggies, came in as handy skill for this project.
In 2018, Ernest joined Pearson’s Systems Solutions Group, now Syntakt Packaging Integration, where he supports the mechanical design of the systems, specifies electrical hardware, determines the electrical panel configuration, and works closely with vendors to ensure proper communication and functioning of all system components.
