Outstanding Industrial Technologist - 2002

Robert Wiseman’s contribution to Sunpower as Manufacturing Manager is best described by a statement from his company’s president, “When Sunpower decided to enter a new arena as an original equipment manufacture of its unique low cost high efficiency cryo-cooler, we needed to hire a leader who could put the same quality imprimatur on our new manufacturing wing. When Bob arrived on the job in 1999, he entered an empty manufacturing wing, met with an uncertain initial client, and encountered an R&D team with a working prototype not designed for manufacture, and Bob led that prototype’s successfully redesign for manufacture. The performance of Bob’s monumental responsibilities has contributed significantly to Sunpower’s success as a corporation.”

Mr. Wiseman received his BS in Industrial Technology in 1976 from Ohio University. He entered Sunpower as a Laboratory Technician and Draftsman. In 1981 he joined Parker-Hannifin as a Manufacturing Engineer and in 1984 he was promoted to Plant Manager of P-H Plastics Facility in Kent, Ohio. He later was employed by Mitchell Electronics where he held management positions in the field of digital electronics production.

His entrepreneurial vent surfaced when he founded Industrial Technology Services Company in Athens to provide local support to industry in machine design, CAD, machine control systems and drafting. Due to his success at ITS, he was recruited to join Sunpower, Inc.