After over 42 years of service, Don Graham retired at the end of December 2017 to fully focus on Maple Syrup production and enjoy more time with his family and friends!

Through his career, Don was instrumental in elevating cutting tools technical education programs, not only for Seco Tools but for the entire industry. He and his team of instructors developed blockbuster lectures to spread products tips and machining knowledge.

Don followed his love of science to graduate from Michigan Technological University with degrees in physics and metallurgy. He spent his early career at General Electric (starting in 1975), where he worked on the Research and Development Center, focusing on nuclear reactor applications and developing alloys for jet engines. Don then went on to develop new coatings and substrates at Seco and eventually became responsible for the Materials Development Group in the North American R&D Department. When he switched to Seco’s Marketing department, Don’s technical background and communication skills made him stand out and in 2008 he was invited to establish a new division, Education and Technical Services.

Using a combination of classroom and hands-on training, Don and his team truly elevated our STEP Program, always striving to improve our customers’ knowledge base and observational skills. Through the education he provided, Don helped many of our customers increase productivity and keep their factories competitive in the global marketplace. In the past 8 years, Don taught roughly 21,000 people in metal cutting principles. His track record also includes 5 patents, 19 scientific publications in referred journals and roughly 70 publications in trade journals.

We are truly blessed that Don dedicated so many years working for Seco, and we wish him all the best in his new chapter.