About Peter Segal

I am Peter Segal, author of Thoughts While Waiting. I study mechanical engineering and computer aided design in New York City. My early interest in tools and construction led me into the woodworking and cabinetmaking trade. From there I entered the tool business, becoming a marketing executive at a premium mail-order importer of fine woodworking tools and machinery. In that capacity I developed new products and revived some classic tools, long after they had gone out of production.

The course of finding and developing new products has led me to many places, from Africa to Asia to Europe and, of course, North America. Seeing the most modern factories juxtaposed with manufacturers that would not appear out of place in a Dickensian novel, I feel certain that the place of manufacturer has, for better or worse, become largely irrelevant to consumers. Moreover, the small enterprise, whether in commerce or manufacturing, is now pressured by competitors who fight for the customers, via the Internet, from the four corners of the world.

Computing and communication, the cause of these problems, will also be their solution. Designers and engineers, though skilled, are but a small part of the cost of manufacture. The ongoing cost of raw material, assembly and distribution constitutes the majority of the costs. Hence, engineers can be paid well and located anywhere. Advanced manufacturing techniques will lower the cost of production in terms of labor, and bring the products closer to the final seller and user, and allow highly customized unique products. Even small enterprises will be able to differentiate themselves from the big players and compete effectively, capitalizing on their close proximity to customers and industry.

The changes unfolding portend dramatic changes in how the products and structures in our every day world will be designed and made. It is an exciting time to embark on new adventures.