Team Duct Tape got to see the Wizard, and his name is Paul Markun, owner, operator and Wizard Extraordinaire of Tampa Technik, a St. Petersburg machine shop that specializes in “safely and effectively expediting product, and eliminating costly manufacturing glitches and bottlenecks.”

Mr. Markun’s passion for knowledge, invention and bringing creative ideas to life in effecient, well thought out ways provided what will no doubt be enduring lessons for Team Duct Tape members. In their tour of Tampa Technik, team members enjoyed seeing a variety of tools that included:

• Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machines
• Electric lathe
• Custom drills
• Abrasive Blast cabinet
• An impressive array of materials, from aluminum to titanium
• CAD software

And much more.

Mr. Markun spent a great deal of time impressing upon Team Duct Tape the importance of studying problems carefully, researching thoroughly and designing and building simply and cleanly.

He spoke to the importance of staying informed and up to date on all levels of science and technology, of always learning, of being curious and asking questions and of not being afraid to try different solutions and ideas.

Team Duct Tape is deeply grateful to Paul Markun for sharing his wisdom and passion for mechanical engineering and all things inventive and useful, and for being such an inspiration to Team Duct Tape.

We look forward to futuring mentoring from the Wizard of Tampa Technik.

Thank You, Mr. Markun, for a great day, a great tour, and a great look at what team members can look forward to achieving in their own lives if they stay engaged and interested in engineering and science.