Field Trip to Ryerson

Breakaway had the exciting opportunity and privilege of going to visit one of our sponsors, Ryerson, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Once we arrived, we talked with a representative of the company and got a tour of their manufacturing facility. Ryerson is one of our key, longtime sponsors; they donate annually the metal that we need for our robot. It was great to have this informational meeting with them

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While there we learned more about how Ryerson operates as a business. They work with steel. Their role is not to make the actual steel or to build machines with the steel. Rather, they buy literally tons of steel from other businesses and cut specific parts for buyers. They take a raw form and make something that is useful and unique.

One thing that stood out to me personally was Ryerson’s efficiency. They try many new things, such as their business plan, the chain of command, or the high tech machine. After careful observation, they implement the best solution in the factories.

We noticed that their business structure is quite similar to how we operate as a team. We learned about their marketing, leadership structure, and production goals. We also were inspired to think of our own impact as a team through the lens of Ryerson’s plant. Over the years, we have sought to transform raw materials into something great. As students learn a lot about robotics and public relations. As a team we learn how to make an impact in our community and beyond through STEM educational programs. As high school students we get to build something out of raw materials and compete in a game at a global level. We are truly grateful to be on Breakaway 3937 and in this FIRST robotics program, and we are truly thankful for our sponsors, such as Ryerson. We literally could not build our robots without them!