Michael Flanigan is the Quality Assurance Manager at ElectroLab in Oldsmar, Florida, and began his career in metal finishing in 1985 working as a chemist in a wire mill in Muncie, Indiana.
From there, he was the chief chemist at a metal finishing house in Connorsville, Indiana, before Flanigan moved on to Benchmark Products (now Asterion) as the Product Development Manager for 16 years.
An opportunity arose to go to Florida as a Quality Manager for an aerospace and defense finishing shop, and after five years there, Flanigan has been the Quality Assurance Manager for ElectroLab since 2014.
How did you get your start in the finishing industry?
I was working on my chemistry degree at Ball State University when a guy in one of my classes asked if I wanted a part time job washing glassware in the lab at a local wire mill. That turned into a full-time job and a career.
What do enjoy best about the industry?
The camaraderie. Even as competitors, we are still friends.
If money was no object, what would you do all day?
Travel. I love going to new places.
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
1977, and don’t ask why.
How would your friends describe you?
Kind, funny, and very sarcastic.
What are your hobbies?
Computers. I have been working with and building them since the mid 80’s. I also read a lot.
Two pet peeves.
People who don’t take responsibility for their actions, and slamming doors.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Probably doing the same thing. I really like where I am and what I’m doing. And I have to stay busy.
If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have?
Mind reading.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Pay off our debts and help my kids and grandkids. We have six kids and 13 grandkids, at least as of now. I’d probably keep working, though.
What's your favorite zoo animal?
I don’t think that I have a favorite. They are all interesting in their own way.
If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?
I would have finished my engineering degree at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Young, immature. and stupid.
Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?
Intelligence for looks.
What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas, without a doubt. It can get tough to get into the spirit in Florida, though.
What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
I’m not very daring at heart. It would probably be whitewater canoeing.
What was the last thing you watched on TV?
Tampa Rays baseball.
What was the last book you read?
I’m currently in the middle of a 21-book series that is kind of Harry Potter-ish. Fun read. I read a lot of history and postapocalyptic stuff, too.
What's your favorite type of foreign food?
Chinese, for sure.
Are you a clean or messy person?
Messy! Very messy. I like to call it “organized chaos.”
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Dustin Hoffman. Believe it or not, when I was younger a lot of people said that I looked like him.
What's your favorite fast food chain?
I’m not really a fast food fan, but if I had to pick one, I guess that would be Chick-Fil-A
What's your favorite family recipe?
My mother’s Sugar Cream Pie, also known as Hoosier Pie and Rubber Pie. Fortunately, my wife has figured out a way to make it sugar free. She’s a genius.
What's your favorite family tradition?
3-day Labor Day family reunion in Indiana.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Going to Chicago Bears training camp as a kid, meeting Dick Butkus and getting his autograph. He was a monster. I had Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo’s autographs as well.
What's your favorite movie?
That’s a tough one. Brian’s Song has always been a favorite.
