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College Station, Texas — On November 13–14, 2025, four Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities gathered at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s (TEES) Facility for Advanced Manufacturing for the annual Project MFG SEC Machining Competition. Over the course of two days, collegiate teams demonstrated their skills in CNC programming, precision machining, and advanced manufacturing technologies as they competed for top honors and program bragging rights.
The competition featured teams from Texas A&M University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Missouri, and Mississippi State University. Each team arrived ready to tackle the rigorous machining challenges designed by the Project MFG competition team—tests that push students to apply technical expertise, problem-solving, and accuracy under real-world manufacturing conditions.
A Look Inside the Experience
Beyond the competition floor, students had the opportunity to explore cutting-edge facilities across campus. Guided tours included Texas A&M’s Zachry Engineering Education Complex, the Robotics and Automation Design Lab, and the Bush Combat Development Complex. These visits gave participants a firsthand look at the evolving needs of manufacturing across aerospace, defense, energy, automotive, and other high-demand industries.
Instructors accompanying each team also benefited from professional development opportunities. Daniel Robles of Haas Automation, Inc. led a mill and lathe operator certification, followed the next day by a metrology certification from Mitutoyo America Corporation—giving educators additional tools to bring back to their classrooms.
Adele Ratcliff, former director of the Innovation Capability & Modernization Office within the U.S. Department of Defense, welcomed the competitors with an inspiring message about the importance of restoring manufacturing excellence in engineering programs.
“We are here to restore the presence of real manufacturing in the engineering sector,” Ratcliff said. “When we started on this journey, the one thing we knew was that we still had our competitive spirit. We designed a competition that would challenge you, with an aim to introduce this as one of our core engineering programs.”
Project MFG was also honored to have representatives from America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) and the U.S. Navy in attendance, giving students the opportunity to network with industry professionals and learn about potential career paths in machining and advanced manufacturing.
A Community Effort
Project MFG is committed to partnering with local communities to raise awareness about the growing demand for highly skilled trade professionals. This year’s SEC Machining Competition was made possible through the support of the TEES Facility for Advanced Manufacturing and generous sponsors: Mastercam, Zeiss, Haas Automation, and the Gene Haas Foundation. Their collaboration helped create an event that fostered learning, connection, and the advancement of future manufacturing leaders.
Meet the winners:
First-Place: Mississippi State University
Starkville, Mississippi
Competitors: Collin Mullins, Caleb Pepper, Jacob Sheley, Russell Stigall.
Instructor: Trace Duncan, Jose Martinez-Castellon, Ross “Dalton” Smith
Second-Place: University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Competitors: Ryan Dodson, Anthony Michael, Griffin Sanderson, Brett Dineen
Instructor: Garrett Robison
Third-Place: The University of tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Competitors: Madison Solano, Joshua Hoekstra
Instructor: Jose Nazario Moreno
Event Photos
TEES Manufacturing Training & Development program:
TEES Manufacturing Training & Development, housed at the Facility for Advanced Manufacturing, supports the transformation of manufacturing in the U.S.. TEES focuses on growing manufacturing technologies and assists with the broad manufacturing needs of private and public sectors, as well as the broader supply base.
Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering and is pivotal in advancing interdisciplinary research across The Texas A&M University System. TEES is dedicated to addressing complex challenges through applied engineering research, managing research grants and contracts and actively fostering partnerships with industry, government and academia, benefitting Texas A&M Engineering faculty and researchers. Technology transition efforts in TEES help move research from the lab to industry and consumers. Additionally, TEES enhances engineering expertise through workforce development by training professionals in emerging fields and engaging educators and students to inspire future engineers.
about project mfg
Project MFG showcases the value of advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, and teamwork through national competitions, community events, and partnerships across industry and education. By challenging students and professionals to think critically, collaborate, and create, Project MFG is helping close the skills gap and strengthen America’s manufacturing workforce.
For more information about Project MFG competitions and future events, please visit projectmfg.com or contact marketing@projectmfg.com.