Washington Business Spring 2017 | Washington Business | Page 42

business backgrounder | education & workforce
a bush pilot who knew not just how to fly the plane, but how to repair it. In those remote environments, if you
couldn’t fix something yourself, it wouldn’t get fixed at all.
While the modern mentality is to throw something away rather than repair it, Voetmann thinks that the human
drive to tinker, design and build is built into our DNA.
“It’s the reason we have thumbs,” he said. “We pick up tools and solve problems. That’s what makes us human.”
He brings that philosophy to The Facility, where he’s using ECC’s cutting-edge machines to work up a few
of his own innovations, like a better lid for insulated bottles that won’t spill hot coffee on you during your
morning commute.
“So many well-known businesses wer