Clay Guillory, ’12, had clear goals in mind to follow his passion and achieve his dreams.
“I decided to pursue engineering because I loved to make things work and wanted to make a difference in how products are made,” he said. “Along with my passion for engineering came another dream: to work at BMW as an engineer. So, I enrolled in the German program at UL Lafayette to pursue that dream.”
He chose UL Lafayette because of the proximity to home and the impressive academic opportunities.
“When you have excellent programs and opportunities right in your own backyard and a place that you love, the decision to attend UL Lafayette was an easy one.
“UL Lafayette’s mechanical engineering program is renowned across the South,” he said. “And what better language to learn for engineering than German? Germany has some of the most well-known companies in machinery and automotives in the world.”
A Cultural Exchange
As Clay earned his degrees, German professor Dr. Caroline Huey suggested he apply for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX). Over eight months, Dr. Huey mentored Clay in German history, literature, culture, and language to prepare him for the exchange.
“I was selected for the CBYX program and the experience was life-changing. She knew the journey I was about to embark on, and she prepared me to go to Germany with all the tools that I would need to be successful,” he said. “Without her mentorship, I do not believe that I would have been accepted into this program or accomplished as much as I did on this year abroad.”
Clay’s exchange program also put him on track to achieving his dreams early: In 2009, he interned at the BMW headquarters in Munich, where he worked on the BMW X3.
“Not only did I have the chance to immerse myself in German culture and make lifelong friends, but my dream of working at BMW was realized,” he said. “This move to Germany completely altered my view of the world. It opened my mind to new cultures in Europe and beyond. It taught me that exploring is not only a way of life during vacation but should be done daily.
“And for that, I am forever thankful to Frau Huey.”
The German Perspective
Outside of class, Clay joined the German Club and participated in the weekly Stammtisch to practice his German skills with other students.
“During Stammtisch, the topic is always open and varies, helping students learn many conversational words auf Deutsch (in German),” he said. “Participating in this group and practice helped me when I traveled to Germany and would have a similar experience sitting around a table conversing with German friends and their families.”
Those skills also helped in his career.
“The ability to communicate around the world in a second language is invaluable, from trade show events to building customer relationships,” he said. “The German ability I acquired at UL Lafayette has helped me to communicate with business contacts and friends almost weekly."
“Learning about and understanding another culture is also very important in broadening your worldview and working with others, especially customers or colleagues that have a different background than you might have,” he said. “Being able to communicate and relate to others is so important, not only in business relationships but personally as well.”
The Engineering Perspective
While Clay gained a lot from his German degree, his mechanical engineering degree fulfilled his passion and career goals of designing and building machinery and manufacturing systems.
“My senior design project was building a wave generator system,” he said. “The goal was to design a device which would be tested in a lab on campus and could eventually be mounted to offshore oil platforms to generate electricity onboard.
“Working on this project taught me about teamwork and motivating a group of people toward a common goal that had many technical moving parts – both literally and figuratively,” he said.
“This project was both challenging and rewarding as our team worked to provide a real solution and make a difference in creating cleaner energy.”
Clay also built an off-road race car as part of the SAE Mini Baja team at UL Lafayette. The team competed in a four-hour endurance race with the car, facing off against some of the country’s biggest universities. In a few competitions, the team placed top ten.
“The experience of designing, fundraising, fabrication, and ultimately traveling across the continent for this event is an incredible experience,” he said.
Engineer & Entrepreneur
Clay added “founder” and “CEO” to his list of titles at a young age. After graduation, he began working at one of the country’s top five-axis CNC machinery companies.
“This passion for machinery led me to building 3D printers in my garage as a hobby,” he explained. “This hobby soon grew into a passion and eventually a business.”
In 2014, when he was 26, Clay founded Titan Robotics. As an industrial 3D printer manufacturer and solutions provider, Titan works with top companies across the globe in advanced industries including in aerospace, automotive, government, medical, defense, and more.
Some of his earliest work also included 3D printing prosthetic hands for children with missing limbs through the non-profit E-Nabling the Future.
“I made the leap from engineer to entrepreneur,” he said. “What began as a garage start-up has transitioned to a successful small business. Titan Robotics has grown into a global leader in manufacturing industrial 3D printers and providing additive manufacturing solutions to industrial customers. This growth is due to our advanced technology and Titan’s amazing team that is continuing to grow.”
