This event brings together student scholars and their families, faculty and staff mentors, other members of the KSC community, area legislators, university trustees, and members of the Keene community in celebration of academic research and other forms of scholarship.
How did the local firm Moore Nanotechnology expand between 1997-2017, a time period when manufacturing jobs were disappearing nationally? While many machine tool makers in the Connecticut River Valley declined with the US auto sector, Nanotech expanded with computerized precision machines used to make consumer electronics globally. Nanotech was able to stay competitive for three reasons 1) the experience and determination of its owner, Len Chaloux; 2) it’s partnership with other independent companies; and 3) the rise of the optics industry, which buys Nanotech’s diamond turning machines. Through conducting oral history interviews with Len Chaloux and Dick Asrsenault, I learned why diamond turning machines are made in in Keene for the global economy, and the obstacles Chaloux had to overcome to keep expanding through the Great Recession in 2009. This economic history is accessible to the community through a public website with photos, audio clips, and an essay.
