Champion rally car driver Andrew Comrie-Picard to kick off WMTS

He has performed motorcycle repairs across Africa in the basements of strangers using batteries as welding equipment. He has stopped in the hills outside of Morocco to repair a Volkswagen minivan using whatever was at hand–including a stick of chewing gum. Now L.A.-based, Edmonton-native Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard is returning to deliver the keynote address at the Western Manufacturing Technology Show (WMTS) the biennial event happening June 4-6.

Comrie-Picard works full time as a top rally car driver, precision driver, auto journalist, and television host. At WMTS he aims to challenge the manufacturing industry to think outside the box by sharing his own insights and experiences.

“Growing up in the country, on the farm, it gives you a couple of things,” he said in a statement. “you have to figure everything out on your own, which makes you look at things in a different way. It makes you innovative and resourceful.”

His keynote will kick off three days of education and exploration of some the newest and most innovative manufacturing technologies.

“Engineering at its best is really a marrying of the best available technology with the best intuitive, sensible input from humans,” said Comrie-Picard, who holds five university degrees, competed in the X Games every year from 2006-2010, and left a high-profile law career in New York City to pursue his racing passion full-time.

His keynote will encourage the manufacturing industry to think outside of the box, a skill he relies on whether he’s trying to come first in a rally race or attempting to turn a car into an airplane in three days on a television series. The real message, he says, is to learn to trust intuition when it comes to devising solutions to problems, especially in pressure situations like a tough economy.

Job shop owners and employees can enjoy free beer and food and meet Comrie-Picard at Job Shop Night on June 5, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. WMTS will also feature an engaging education program on the show floor (free with admission), plenty of opportunities to network with technology companies and industry professionals, and a variety of live machinery and product demonstrations.

WMTS, presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is at the Edmonton EXPO Centre (7515-118 Ave) from June 4 to 6, 2013. More than 2,000 attendees are expected to attend. To learn more about WMTS, visit http://wmts.ca or call 888-322-7333, ext. 4447.