Many Thanks and Happy Holidays from Team Duct Tape!
TDT members enjoyed a recent visit to our long time friend and mentor, Paul Markun, of Tampa Technik. As always, the gift of his time
and expertise was deeply valued, so we were humbled to receive a financial contribution from Mr. Markun on top of his expert guidance. Tampa Technik is a remarkable facility and Mr. Markun is an incredible manufacturing engineer, who routinely creates new machines and products based on conceptual design ideas – as he told us, pretty much what TDT has to do each season when we get a new challenge.
We were also honored to receive a generous donation from McCormick-Stevenson Engineering and Design . McCormick-Stevenson has a long tradition of supporting FIRST in Florida, having mentored TDT and other teams in PTC Creo Elements, and volunteering at FIRST tournaments.
We’re deeply grateful for the support of both Tampa Technik and McCormick-Stevenson and will do our very best to represent our great sponsors graciously, professionally and successfully! And many thanks, too, to all our great supporters throughout the year. Your kindness, encouragement and guidance is deeply valued.
In gratitude and with every best wish for the holidays and always, from all of us at Team Duct Tape!
Team Duct Tape Presenting at Dunedin Rotary Club
On Tuesday, October 26, Team Duct Tape members will be visiting the Dunedin Rotary Club to share team experiences and inform Rotary Club members about FIRST robotics. We were invited to speak by Melissa McCormick, a Rotary member as well as a member of McCormick-Stevenson Engineering and Design, a long time TDT mentors. We’re honored to have an opportunity to share back what we’ve learned and continue to learn, with Dunedin Rotary Club members.
Giving Thanks for Friends, Mentors and Supporters
Mentor Paul Markun checks out our robot
Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on all the great people who support and encourage Team Duct Tape members, individually and as a team. Today, a couple of TDT members visited Paul Markun at his Tampa Technik machine shop in St. Petersburg. We were treated to a look at a machine he’d designed and built for a manufacturing company. The machine cuts PVC pipe with no waste and little noise, and Mr. Markun walked students through his development and prototyping process to 
see how he arrived at the final product. It was an eye opening and thought provoking journey!
He also took time to talk to the team members about tool selection, care and organization, important topics we’ve been addressing at meetings.
Mr. Markun also looked over our robot and shared some thoughts and insights about our ideas for improvements. It was a great visit, and offered a terrific opportunity for realizing just how lucky we are to have so many people who care about the team’s and student members’ success.
FWCS-ASME president Pete Grotsky offers interview guidance
From FLL team TechnoForce taking the time to come out and cheer us on at Robomania, to Mr. Pete Grotsky from ASME coming out to a meeting to mentor students on the interview process, to McCormick-Stevenson’s Pro/ENGINEER guidance, to organizations like EA Games and Coastal Caisson and USF opening
FLL TechnoForce Supporters
their doors to us, to ShurTech Brand’s wonderful donation of a boxful of Duck Tape, to the contributions of time and assistance by member families, to the generous funding provided by ASME and PTC, FTC Team Duct Tape is fortunate and grateful beyond words!
The gifts all these and many other wonderful individuals and groups have given TDT students are meaningful far beyond any competition recognition or trophies, and will last students a lifetime.
TDT @ EA with Ryan Burkett, on left.
Thank you all, for all you do, and know that your gifts of time and financial support are deeply valued and appreciated!
Team Duct Tape 