The Long Path to Clear Direction

Lyford didn’t arrive at this philosophy from a textbook. It was earned through trial, transition, and recalibration. As a high school student, he entered a competitive vocational program supported by 21 local companies, including Forest City Gear. He was the highest-scoring aptitude test candidate from his school, and by the time he graduated, he was already setting up gear inspection equipment—getting hands-on experience that few students ever receive before entering the workforce. He started full-time at Forest City Gear, but another principle stayed with him—this time from a tool and die maker who asked what he planned to do with his future. When Lyford admitted he wasn’t sure, the man replied: “If you don’t get a degree, get a trade.” He never forgot that. When someone else later suggested he would make a good tool and die maker, he followed the advice—left Forest City Gear—and eventually earned his journeyman’s credential through the same RRVTMA program he now leads. Then 9/11 hit. The company he worked for contracted. Lyford suddenly found himself overqualified for many positions and underutilized in others. He spent time working in automation and assembly, gaining new skills but questioning his trajectory. One day in the tool room, everything changed again. Someone waved a newspaper in his direction. On the front page was Fred Young of Forest City Gear, standing beside a headline that read “In High Gear.” Lyford called that night. Forest City Gear remembered him. A door reopened. A framed copy of that article is displayed above his desk.