Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind today toured the manufacturing facility and met with employees at global supercomputing leader, Cray Inc. in Chippewa Falls. Currently employing more than 220 people throughout the Chippewa Valley, Cray develops innovative supercomputers used to accelerate scientific research and engineering.

 

“Right here in our own backyard we have a global, innovative leader in the computing industry, creating jobs and strengthening the local economy,” said Rep. Kind.  “In order to increase American competitiveness and remain the most creative, innovative country in the world, we need to follow the lead of successful companies like Cray.  And we must make investments in math, science and engineering programs in our colleges and universities to foster the next generation of innovative leaders.”

 

Cray provides supercomputing platforms that enable scientists and engineers in academia, government, and industry to solve problems more quickly, enhance productivity and better meet a wide variety of computing challenges across a number of applications. Cray plays an important role in the local economy and works with several suppliers in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire.

 

Wayne Kugel, Cray’s Senior Vice President of Customer Service and Quality, invited Rep. Kind to tour Cray’s facility and join employees for a meet and greet. About 85 employees currently live in the Third Congressional District. Cray’s other major facilities include St. Paul and Seattle, where the company’s corporate headquarters is located.  

 

“It was a real honor to host Congressman Kind today and give him an up-close view of our manufacturing facilities, our supercomputing products and the people who work very hard at putting them together,” said Kugel. “We take great pride in designing and building innovative supercomputers that give researchers, scientists and engineers the computing resources they need to solve some of the world’s most pressing scientific challenges. It’s this passion that drives our company, and it’s exciting to be able share this first hand with our political leaders.”