Allen Gress's career journey is a compelling narrative of passion, perseverance, and dedication in the field of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Starting his professional life right out of high school as a sheet metal riveter for Grumman Aerospace, Allen’s path took an unexpected turn when he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center as a Quality Assurance specialist. It was there, documenting destructive testing and forming connections with NDT technicians, that Allen discovered his true calling.
From these humble beginnings, he rapidly advanced, achieving ASNT Level III certification across multiple methods and becoming a respected leader in the industry. Today, as the Technical Sales Manager at Comet Yxlon and Vice President of the Non-Destructive Testing Management Association (NDTMA), Allen leverages his deep technical expertise and leadership acumen to drive innovation and growth in the NDT field.
In this interview, Allen shares insights from his extensive experience, discusses the challenges and opportunities in the industry, and offers valuable advice for young professionals aspiring to make their mark in NDT.
Hello Mr. Allen Gress, can you share the story of your career journey? What inspired you to enter the field of non-destructive testing (NDT)?
My Journey started out of high school, started working for Grumman Aerospace as a sheet metal riveter making parts for various Navy jets. While working there, I attended Airframe and Powerplant school to become an airplane mechanic. When I graduated, two airlines went out of business so there were no jobs to be had working on airplanes. I applied at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center for a Quality Assurance position and got the job, where I was documenting destructive testing. I was assigned to the building onsite where the NDT was being performed for the Engineering branch and made friends with the technicians who were doing the NDT work. The work they were doing was way more interesting than walking around with a clip board so I would spend my free time over there watching and working with them. The head of Engineering saw that I had an interest and contacted my boss and told him that I needed to be trained and certified so that I could do the inspections for the Quality group, he wanted a clear separation between the Engineering group and the Quality group. Thus, my NDT journey started and progressed quickly and was certified in RT, PT, MT and UT within a three year period.
Getting into NDT was by accident but once I was in, my goal was to get certified at the highest level and had two mentors that wanted to see me succeed. My Level III at the time ensured that I was taking all the right classes and progressing towards Level II. If I found a class I wanted to take, he made sure that I was signed up and freed up my time to attend. I also had a mentor on the Engineering side, Norman Ruffino, that took the time to work with me to put the theory into practice. I was the only NDT technician for the Quality group and my workload increased to the point we had to hire another technician and helped my best friend, Eddie Pompa get a job with our group. We started pushing each other to continually get better at our craft. I hit the five year mark as a Level II technician and started my path to Level III. I remember passing my Basic exam, one of the hardest exams I had ever taken but I also realized what an accomplishment it was.
My first Level III’s were in MT and PT which was followed up by getting my CWI. After getting my MT/PT Level III, I went back to college and got my Bachelors of Science in Business Management. After obtaining this goal, it was time to leave Nasa after 18 years and went to work as a Quality Engineer/Corporate Level III for Howden Buffalo and got my RT and VT Level III.
… what are your main responsibilities as the Technical Sales Manager at Comet Xylon? How do you balance your technical expertise with sales management?
My main role as Technical Sales Manager is a complicated. I was originally hired to work with the sales team on technical matters concerning radiography and computed tomography issue. One week into my employment, I was at a conference with my then boss and he asked me if I wanted to build the sales market in Texas because of my home base and the fact that we did not have a footprint in Texas from a systems standpoint. At the time that I joined Comet Yxlon, they had changed their strategy from the NDT market to the electronics market. The only systems in Texas were for the NDT market, mostly in the Aerospace and O&G segment and there were only 6 systems in the entire market. Texas has a very large electronics market that Comet Yxlon does not currently have a footprint in, and it has become a focus of the US team.
I spend about 80% of my time working as a Sales Manager building opportunities in my market from Texas and the central US. The remainder of my time is working with other
Sales Managers on our team on NDT opportunities that come up in the NDT market since that is where my expertise falls under.
... achieving ASNT Level III certification is a significant accomplishment. Can you tell us about your challenges while preparing for this certification and how they have impacted your career?
I always say that God has a sense of humor, I have always hated taking exams growing up and the industry I chose requires me to take exams every 5 years. The biggest challenge I had in taking Level III exams was finding time to study for the exams and raising my 4 kids. In taking Level III exams, you have to know every aspect of the method you are seeking and it is a challenge to understand every aspect, especially if you don’t perform certain aspects as a part of your daily activities.
I would not be in the NDT business today had I not gotten my Level III’s. The Level III’s along with the business degree has propelled my career further than I could have imagined. It has allowed me to be a corporate Level III and drive NDT initiatives that had a direct impact on the quality of the products we inspected. It has also put me in positions to help build the NDT business at Element Materials Technology that has led to my current position in Technical Sales. In addition, I have been able to start a consulting business in NDT to help companies with their Level III and Quality issues.
As the Vice President of the Non-Destructive Testing Management Association (NDTMA), what initiatives are you currently focusing on? How do you envision the future of NDT?
My role as Vice President of NDTMA is to lead and organize the annual conference, organize the annual business meeting and serve as a Program Chair for the annual conference. NDTMA has several initiatives in which the organization is helping the NDT community to grow and prosper. We as an organization are currently working with AATA on an apprenticeship program to help fill the growing need of NDT technicians in the industry. We also have a Government & Industry Affairs Committee (GIAC) that is responsible for liaising with governmental or other industry organizations and reporting back any new or proposed laws which might impact the organization or NDTMA member companies.
I see the future of NDT as a mix of technical experts and AI and using both in combination to grow the industry. As long as I have been in NDT, there has always been a shortage of NDT technicians. In my opinion, this shortage has been a result of the NDT industries failure to grow individuals beyond just a technician and competition among NDT companies for qualified talent. This competition for qualified technicians has hindered technician growth for fear that they will leave one company for another. I think that AI will allow companies to use technology to make accept/reject decision and as such the role of a technician will change as well. With the addition of AI, the technician will become an operator of the equipment and allowing the computer to make the crucial decisions that affect the quality of the product. With the advancement of AI, the Level III experts will become a crucial aspect of everyday NDT because we will need experts to oversee AI software to ensure that the decisions the computer makes are being audited to the highest standards. The challenge I see is how we will grow the next generation of Level III’s into experts in the field.
… what recent technological advancements in NDT do you find most exciting? How do you see these innovations shaping the industry in the coming years?
AI is the most exciting thing to come to NDT in my 34+ years in the industry. I see AI as the next step in giving more credibility to the industry. We will be moving away from human decision making to automated decision making to eliminate detrimental defect
analysis. One of the biggest challenges I have always faced was the inconsistent training throughout the industry, what is acceptable by one company may not be acceptable by another company. While we all are driven by industrial codes and standards, the interpretation of these codes and standards can change from one person to another based on their experience. The advent of AI will take the interpretation out of it and in my opinion will bring continuity to the industry.
… what do you consider the biggest challenges facing the NDT industry today? How can professionals in the field address these challenges?
The biggest challenge facing NDT professionals today is training technicians to one standard, whether that is through a national certification or certified training plans. Training plans can vary depending on who is giving the training. There is not one size fits all for training plans, everyone uses different training outlines, so the outcome is a technician that is trained in only one or two aspects of a method. For example, one company may only use visible dye penetrant and that technician may only use that one method for most of their career. The training programs cover every aspect of the method but if they only use one aspect of that method, we don’t pivot and use targeted training to cover the one aspect of the method they will be using.
I think the industry needs to address the way we perform training and revamp the OJT requirements. For example, if a company only performs visible dye penetrant, that company is required to give that technician 400 hours of OJT which prevents that company from certifying a technician and making him billable until he gets 400 hours of OJT. In reality, it should only take a fraction of OJT to become proficient in visible dye penetrant inspection. I have talked with other Level III’s in the industry and the challenge they face is that a technician may get all the required OJT and never seen an actual defect during their training experience. So now you may have a technician that has met all the educational and OJT requirements, pass an exam that has never seen an actual defect during his training.
I feel the training requirements need to be changed in the method and train them in the methods they will use on a daily basis. With that, the Level III’s need to implement an immersive type training where they are training the technicians using known defective samples, so they are seeing what an actual defect is in real time. What we are doing today is letting the Level II’s train the technician and in most cases the Level III has no impact on their training other than signing off on their OJT records. In my opinion, the Level III’s need to take the lead on training technicians and take it out of the Level II’s hands but that will require how we address OJT and change it to ensure that technicians are being trained on finding and identifying defects.
… you’ve had a successful career and hold a leadership position. What advice would you give to young professionals entering the NDT field? How important is mentorship in this industry?
My advice to young professionals is to be proactive with the company you are working for to grow as an individual. Find opportunities to grow in the NDT field and find leadership opportunities which will help their individual growth. Too many times I have seen technicians let the company direct their growth as a professional which has only led to stunting their growth.
Mentoring is crucial to the growth of the NDT profession. Several people took the time to mentor me and invest in my future when I started as a technician and it is my responsibility and the responsibility of every Level III to train up the next generation of technicians, Level III’s and leaders.
… building strong relationships with clients is crucial in sales. How do you approach developing and maintaining these relationships, especially when dealing with complex technical products? Balancing a demanding career with a personal life can be challenging. How do you manage to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
It is my role to be that expert in the room when it comes to radiography and be there when our customers have questions and concerns about x-ray and CT. I understand my limitation that I am not always going to know the answers but I have an extensive group of friends and colleagues that I can collaborate with to give my customers the best possible answer. I also have to be able to listen to their concerns and sometimes complaints when necessary. Being a good listener is crucial in building relationships with customers.
Balancing my career with family life was not always easy especially when you are working 15 hour days. Experience is the best teacher and I have been able to find the necessary balance between work and family life. When I got into a leadership role, I always insisted that those under my leadership work on work/life balance. There were times I would tell my employees to leave work in the middle of a project to go home and spend time with their family.
Today I manage work/life balance by planning out my day and stick to that schedule. When my workday is done, I stop what I am doing and put away work and be present with my family. I have even developed hobbies that are centered around time with my family.
… what emerging trends in the NDT industry should professionals be aware of? How should companies adapt to stay competitive?
In the NDT industry, we are at a crossroads where technology and manual inspection are intersecting and, in my opinion, companies that are willing to invest in the latest technology such as AI will have the greatest advantage. Companies that are willing to think outside of the box and find ways to inspect product better and faster will have the greatest advantage. Companies that look at a problem and instantly say “no” will be left behind.
… how important is sustainability in the NDT industry, and what steps can companies take to ensure their practices are environmentally friendly?
The NDT industry is built for sustainability, OEM’s are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology that will protect the environment. For example, digital radiography replacing film radiography and the processing chemicals.
… outside of your professional life, what are some of your personal interests and hobbies? How do they contribute to your overall well-being and success?
Spending time with my wife, four kids and two grandkids is crucial to my overall well- being and success, as it is them who grounds me and sets the tone for how I attack my work life. My other hobbies include are BBQ, in particular, smoking meats such as brisket and ribs and the other hobby is golf, of which I have just taken up on a regular basis.
… what qualities do you believe are essential for effective leadership in the NDT industry? What advice would you offer to those aspiring to leadership roles?
I believe that a leader in the NDT industry must possess patience, the ability to make quick decisions, have the ability to defend any decision made, the ability to plan ahead and change those plans quickly and decisively. The leader must also have a teaching mentality, empathy, ability to discipline when necessary, ability to say when he/she is wrong and course correct as necessary.
The advice I would give to young aspiring leaders is to seek out opportunities to lead and never shy away from any opportunity to lead when asked. Mistakes are a part of leadership so expect that you will fail along the way but learn from every mistake and use the lessons learned to better yourself and your leadership. The biggest aspect of leadership is being accountable to those who you serve.
… what is the one piece of advice you would give to young professionals and researchers aspiring to make a mark in the field of NDT?
Take control of your career from the first day and that a lot of NDT companies have no interest in furthering your career beyond what they initially hired you for. Seek out opportunities to expose yourself to other methods and techniques to expand your portfolio. Start to build a professional network that you can seek out advice and knowledge that you can tap into as you progress in your career.
Finally, what are your thoughts on OnestopNDT? Do you think our efforts to provide real, authentic, and accurate content are helping the industry? Also, do you think our platform helps the community connect with like-minded people?
The NDT industry always needs an outlet for exposure and industry updates that are happening within the industry. For professionals in the NDT industry to keep update on the changes within the industry, they need as many publications as possible to inform them on what is happening in the industry. OnestopNDT is one of those many publications that give information on what is happening in the industry and what changes might be coming in the future.
