Interview
Dive Manufacturing in a New Light
DANIEL EMERSON A VISIT WITH Text by Jill Heinerth
Motion, manufacturer of premium bicycle and diving lights, recalls dazzling water clarity in the 1970s. Construction was just beginning on the new bridge designed to fully connect Florida’s mainland to the Keys. Known today as the Seven Mile Bridge, it now carries over 3 million visitors a year through the region. Yet, in Daniel’s youth, the Keys were simply a quiet escape to a land of wondrous beauty. Emerson’s father, a diver himself,
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was not keen on his son pursuing scuba lessons until he had proven himself an outstanding swimmer, and earned a Senior Lifesaver certificate. That was an easy challenge for the young man, who loved the water. “I learned to free dive down to
him [my Dad] and float along on the surface watching him and my mom down below. I remember surprising him with a tap on the shoulder when they were down over 80 feet [24m].” For Emerson, it was a natural
attraction to the outdoors that brought him to diving. He recognized
Magazine
he crystal waters of John Pennekamp State Park were a playground to Daniel Emerson, who grew up in nearby Miami. The CEO of Light and
the unique opportunity to explore submerged places few had ever experienced. “I did not have goals. I loved the
sea and the creatures in and around it. Free diving or fishing or exploring the Everglades - boat camping in our 17ft [5m] whaler, listening to the sounds of nature and bird watching, or sailing on my cousin’s schooner through a hurricane and experiencing the calm at the first dawn light, it was all the same to me; the wonder of these remarkable places and experiences all tied me to the ocean.”
Hands-on Excelling in school, Emerson had many choices available to him for post-secondary education. He was considering the route of Ocean Engineering, but was encouraged to enroll in a more general Mechanical Engineering program at the prestigious Tufts University. After completing his degree, he took a job designing solar powered refrigerators for the United Nations, with the purpose of keeping vaccines cool in remote places. He felt as though his work had value, but it was confining him to a lab and he began to feel disconnected with the larger world. Looking for a more dynamic environment, he chose to return to school for graduate
studies in Manufacturing. It was there that he found his true calling. “Manufacturing is hands-on
making stuff. After working in a research lab I wanted to make lots of stuff, get my hands dirty and make things better. Manufacturing is exciting; it involves many disciplines, from design and process engineering, to automation and organizing teams to drive productivity and quality in the pursuit of supporting great products. “Manufacturing is one of the
CEO of Light & Motion Daniel Emmerson
few careers where folks from all walks of life come together around a goal. Many of my wonderful, smart friends work in high tech careers where they hang out with folks just like themselves. Manufacturing brings together folks from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds and puts us together with the goal of making high quality products efficiently. Manufacturing requires high levels of team work to be successful. It saddens me when our leaders and educators talk about letting manufacturing go to Asia. When we lose manufacturing we lose craft, we lose know-how and we lose an environment of shared values and participation. Our society needs more places where we come together,” he says.
Photo: Courtesy Light & Motion
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