Herlihy leads the Manufacturing Day and recently launched the Vocational Committee.

By Cheri Brown

Cheri Brown

The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce supports many types of businesses and nonprofit organizations, from sole proprietors to companies that employ hundreds of people.  The purpose of the Chamber Focus column is to highlight some of those companies. Today’s column is about a manufacturing company, Creative Manufacturing Solutions. The column was going to contain lots of fascinating trivia about Morgan Hill’s manufacturing sector, like we have 88 manufacturing companies in Morgan Hill, employing 2,337 people, but I discovered someone far more interesting than statistics.

Tim Herlihy, the founder of Creative Manufacturing Solutions, is making our community a better place to live and work. Tim knew when he graduated high school that college was not for him. He enjoyed working in the machining shop his father managed. After working in the industry for many years he was laid off in 2006. Tim and his wife Tammy took a giant leap of faith and started their own business.

They moved Creative Manufacturing Solutions to Morgan Hill in 2017 because they liked our community and its small-town feel.  Tim joined the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce where he serves on the board of directors.

Tim’s philosophy is to give back to the community. He wants to help the next generation be successful.  He facilitated Sobrato High School’s welding program, providing the staff to instruct the teachers, and helping raise the funds for the equipment through our local Rotary club.

“Tim is always willing to provide information and help provide industry opportunities for students which lead to real world experiences.” said Kayla Erath, agriculture teacher at Ann Sobrato High School.

Herlihy leads the Manufacturing Day for Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, and recently launched the Vocational Committee. Nick Gaich, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce CEO, is excited about the new program “… it offers our young adults an opportunity to pursue a path in the trades, surrounded in a learning environment that fosters confidence, respect, and trust that will carry them forward into a meaningful and rewarding career they can be proud of.”

Creative Manufacturing Solutions fabricates precision sheet metal for companies including Facebook and Blendid, a smoothie making robot. Touring the facility of massive machines is fascinating, but the most interesting aspect is the corporate culture Tim has created with his team.

Herlihy partnered with his employees to create a corporate culture they call TRACQ: Teamwork, Respect, Accountability, Communication and Quality. He uses personality tests to enable his team to communicate better, with the goal of creating a positive work environment while producing ISO-compliant products. When two co-workers had stopped speaking, Herlihy reviewed their personality tests sharing how one communicated frequently and the other was more introverted and preferred less communication. This allowed them to better understand one another and resolved the conflict.

Our society promotes college as a panacea sure way to security. Yet not everyone is a candidate for college. The trades are a valuable pathway to a meaningful career. Herlihy proves this point through his personal success as a business leader and as a community leader — someone inspiring young people to examine the trades as a career option.

Cheri Brown is a member of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.