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EMBRACING THE NON-TRADITIONAL TRACKAlumnus Jorge Ramirez bought the company he began working at while in college and built it into a premier fluid and gas heating systems company.Twenty-seven years ago, Jorge Ramirez walked into the California State University, Los Angeles, Career Center, looking for a way to earn money as he pursued his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. It wasa simple step that would change his life.“I found an open position at a small manufacturing company, then called Integrated Circuit Development (ICD) Corporation, building equipment for the semiconductor industry,” explains Ramirez.He began working full time while completing the majority of his upper division coursework, but was not able to complete his degree at the time, although he came back later to finish it.“Instead, the company’s owner, David Etheridge, mentored me and gave me the opportunity to work in product development, marketing, and sales.”For 10 years, Ramirez worked by Etheridge’s side. And, when Etheridge was looking to retire, Ramirez gathered a group of investors and bought the company, now known as Heateflex Corporation.Heateflex Corporation manufactures high-purity fluid heaters and other fluid-handling equipment used by industriesin which purity is critical to manufacturing success. The company’s customers include semiconductor, disk drive, solar cell, and medical device makers.“Think about washing your dishes at home; it is easierto clean dishes with hot water rather than cold,” explains Ramirez. “The hot water dissolves things quicker, cuts through grease, and results in cleaner dishes. Becauseit cleans faster, you also use less water. Our customers face the same challenges. They want to rinse and clean the small, critical parts they make. The difference is that some of these parts are smaller than a single red blood cell – or approximately 600 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.”ffffff“If I had not walked into the career center...I may never have known about the company I’ve been with for 27 years.”20