Six Graduate from Ipsen Field Service Academy
Six Ipsen service technicians were recognized at the Ipsen Vacuum Technology Excellence Center for completing the Ipsen Field Service Engineer (FSE) Academy: Todd Jones, Casey Guinn, Craig Monaghan, Eric Gould, Alfredo Mendoza, and Dom Wirthlin. The Ipsen FSE Academy is a 14-week, intensive, hands-on training program for field technicians who specialize in servicing Ipsen vacuum furnaces. The program began with three weeks of classroom instruction, where participants learned from engineers, designers, and technical service professionals about the design, assembly, operation, subsystems, and functions of vacuum furnaces. From there, technicians transitioned to field training. Each participant was paired with a mentor and gained hands-on experience with specialty Ipsen furnaces, hot zone replacements, new equipment installations, and a variety of retrofits, each presenting unique challenges and requiring different skill sets. After several weeks in the field, participants returned to Cherry Valley for calibration training, final evaluations, and a graduation ceremony.
“As a technical trainer we naturally have strong passion for teaching others the skills required to be successful in this industry,” said Cavan Cardenas, Ipsen Technical Training Lead. “When we get a group of technicians that matches our passion level, it makes it real easy for us to get excited about the training program.” “One of the best things I learned at the FSE Academy was to network with others in the field,” Eric Gould explained. “The training gave me the ability to take the time and learn the job so that I can figure out an issue by myself, but also know that I have a team of experts I can reach out to with specialized skills who can help.”
“The experience I’ve had working at Ipsen has been overwhelmingly positive,” Todd Jones said. “The FSE Academy, the instructors and the FSEs we’ve met in the field cement this as a place I want to work for in the very long term. This program helped us develop, giving us what we need to provide value to the company and our customers well into the future.” Participants are paid throughout the program and gain real-world experience by working with key customers at leading companies across a wide range of industries. Ipsen is currently seeking Field Service Engineers to join the next academy class, projected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
