Dan Duffield, a titan of the battery industry, has retired after 41 years.
Dan prepared for his career with two years of study at Ferris State College (University) in the Technical Drafting and Tool Design program. Afterward he put in an application at MAC Engineering & Equipment Company and began his career in energy storage at 20 years old. Starting out in the Mechanical Engineering department, then to Field Service, then to Sales, and finally he landed in his position from which he retired, Executive Vice President.
The best position of his career was his 10 years in Field Service which sent him to more than 50 countries. “I would come home, empty one suitcase, grab a different one, and head back out to get on another plane.”
International travel comes with its challenges as well as the fun of visiting the world. Communication was the greatest hurdle for many years of Dan’s early career. “There wasn’t a cell phone in every pocket in 1984. I couldn’t just hop on a Zoom meeting with the engineers back home.”
Despite the challenges of working with evolving technology and communication across the world Dan loved his time abroad. When asked what his favorite part of his career was, he said, “Everything. Getting to travel, the people, the opportunities I was given. I loved helping people, and people were willing to help me.”
With 41 amazing years behind him, Dan is ready for his retirement. The lakes await his fishing lures, and the trees are ready to watch over his tents at night.
