In an article featured by NIST MEP, the Director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP), Phil Mintz, personally reflects on his journey back to his home state and the manufacturing industry. After a career working on radar systems and electronic systems in different locations, an ad for a Manufacturing Extension Specialist position at NC State caught his attention. Despite not knowing what an “MEP” was, he accepted the position and returned to North Carolina, marking a homecoming after 25 years.