Chris Rye Age: 27
General Dynamics NASSCO San Diego, CA
UNDER THIRTY T
his past April, General Dynamics NASSCO launched the Isla Bella, a 764'-long Marlin- class container ship that’s the first of its kind—a “hybrid,” with the ability to run on liquified natural gas (LNG) as well as traditional fuel. Among those watching from dockside, with a lump in his throat, was Chris Rye, who, as Engine Room Manager, was responsible for the construction of the most complex area onboard the ship, according to Parker Larson, the company’s director of commercial programs. “It didn’t take long for me to recognize that Chris was a gifted individual,” said Larson, who works di- rectly with Chris as part of the ship management team responsible for the delivery of the LNG-powered ships. “It is an understatement to say that Chris has a lot of weight on his shoulders.” Chris’s journey to dockside in San Diego that day began as a kid who was “always interested in math and science growing up [and who] wonders how things work—my favorite TV show is ‘How It’s Made’ on Discovery Channel,” Chris says. He followed in his older brother’s footsteps and attended the Merchant Marine Academy, graduating with a bachelor’s in ma- rine engineer systems. At that point, he said, he wasn’t thinking about manufacturing at all: “I was aspiring to be a systems engineer or naval architect when I took a job with General Dynamics NASSCO.” While in the company’s Professional Development
Program (PDP—an accelerated management train- ing program), however, Chris rotated through different departments throughout the shipyard. “Working with the production teams and seeing the ships being built increased my interest in manufacturing.”
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | July 2015 Chris showed his promise by managing engine
“It wasn’t until I really got to experience manufacturing myself that I truly fell in love with it.”
room construction and test schedules for the US Navy’s Cargo/Ammunition Ship (T-AKE) and Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), says Larson. “Being the engine room manager on the MLP was the first time I was the production manager of an engine room from start to finish,” Chris noted. Accord- ing to Larson, Chris received multiple honors at the Gen- eral Dynamics Manufacturing
Symposium for implementing the engine vibrations re- duction program and establishing construction process improvements on the MLP.
Chris said that the highlight of his career to date is being the engine-room manager of the new LNG- powered ships, and he credits the hands-on style of learning he experienced at the Merchant Marine Academy and later in the PDP for preparing him for the challenges he has faced in that role. “The Merchant Marine Academy consisted of three years of school and one year of sailing. We had a lot of hands-on operating experience, which allowed me to truly understand how to get things done,” he said. “Then, during PDP, I was able to understand the overall shipbuilding process while learning manufacturing principles.” “It wasn’t until I really got to experience manufactur- ing myself that I truly fell in love with it,” Chris noted. “Young people should know that manufacturing gives you one of the greatest rewards you could ever ask for—a sense of accomplishment,” he said. “When I watched the world’s first LNG-powered containership launch into the ocean this April, I knew I had a role in making that happen,” he recalled. “It’s a powerful feeling.”
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