• mySigEp
  • Shop
  • Giving Opportunities

Sigma Phi Epsilon

Building Balanced Men

  • About SigEp
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Chapters
    • Who We Are
      • National Fraternity
        • National Board of Directors
        • Committees and Task Forces
        • District Governors
      • Educational Foundation
      • SigEp National Housing
      • Headquarters Staff
      • Chapter Support
    • Strategic Plan
    • History & Facts
    • Prominent Alumni
    • Get Involved
    • Job Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • The SigEp Experience
    • Balanced Man Program
    • SigEp Learning Communities
    • National Programs
      • Springboard: A Series to Launch You Into SigEp Leadership
      • National Transition Retreat
      • Carlson Leadership Academies
      • Ruck Leadership Institute
      • Tragos Quest to Greece
      • Career Coaching
      • Life After College
      • Grand Chapter Conclave
      • Live Your Oath
      • Volunteer Training and Resources
    • Service-learning
    • Membership Perks
      • Alumni
        • PCI Oral History Publication
      • Undergraduates
    • Awards
      • 2020-2021 Award Recipients
      • 2021 Conclave Award Recipients
  • Foundation
    • Give
    • Giving Options
      • Annual Fund
      • Board of Governors
      • Founders Day of Giving
      • Stock, Mutual Fund Gifts
      • Matching Gifts
      • Legacy Society
      • IRA Gifts
      • Donor Advised Fund Gifts
    • Grants & Scholarship Funds
      • Balanced Man Scholarships
      • Tuition Scholarships
      • Chapter Investment Funds (CIFs)
      • Restricted Fund Policies
  • Resources
    • Chapter Officers
    • Volunteers
      • Alumni Communication Program
      • Volunteer Training and Resources
    • Parents
    • SigEp National Housing
    • Recruitment
      • Vice President of Recruitment
      • Mentor for Recruitment
      • Substance-free Facilities
    • Substance-free Facilities
    • Member Safety
    • Officer Elections & Transitions
    • Standards & Bylaws
    • Off Script, On Purpose
    • Marketing & Branding
    • Social Media
  • Journal
    • Features
    • Fraternity News
    • Red Door Notes
    • Our Very Own Balanced Men
    • Chapter News
    • Alumni & Volunteer News
    • Educational Foundation
    • Commentary
    • In Memoriam
    • Press Releases
  • Search
  • Give
  • /
  • Volunteer
  • /
  • Join
  • /
  • Learn More
  • About SigEp
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Chapters
    • Who We Are
      • National Fraternity
        • National Board of Directors
        • Committees and Task Forces
        • District Governors
      • Educational Foundation
      • SigEp National Housing
      • Headquarters Staff
      • Chapter Support
    • Strategic Plan
    • History & Facts
    • Prominent Alumni
    • Get Involved
    • Job Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • The SigEp Experience
    • Balanced Man Program
    • SigEp Learning Communities
    • National Programs
      • Springboard: A Series to Launch You Into SigEp Leadership
      • National Transition Retreat
      • Carlson Leadership Academies
      • Ruck Leadership Institute
      • Tragos Quest to Greece
      • Career Coaching
      • Life After College
      • Grand Chapter Conclave
      • Live Your Oath
      • Volunteer Training and Resources
    • Service-learning
    • Membership Perks
      • Alumni
        • PCI Oral History Publication
      • Undergraduates
    • Awards
      • 2020-2021 Award Recipients
      • 2021 Conclave Award Recipients
  • Foundation
    • Give
    • Giving Options
      • Annual Fund
      • Board of Governors
      • Founders Day of Giving
      • Stock, Mutual Fund Gifts
      • Matching Gifts
      • Legacy Society
      • IRA Gifts
      • Donor Advised Fund Gifts
    • Grants & Scholarship Funds
      • Balanced Man Scholarships
      • Tuition Scholarships
      • Chapter Investment Funds (CIFs)
      • Restricted Fund Policies
  • Resources
    • Chapter Officers
    • Volunteers
      • Alumni Communication Program
      • Volunteer Training and Resources
    • Parents
    • SigEp National Housing
    • Recruitment
      • Vice President of Recruitment
      • Mentor for Recruitment
      • Substance-free Facilities
    • Substance-free Facilities
    • Member Safety
    • Officer Elections & Transitions
    • Standards & Bylaws
    • Off Script, On Purpose
    • Marketing & Branding
    • Social Media
  • Journal
    • Features
    • Fraternity News
    • Red Door Notes
    • Our Very Own Balanced Men
    • Chapter News
    • Alumni & Volunteer News
    • Educational Foundation
    • Commentary
    • In Memoriam
    • Press Releases
  • Search
  • mySigEp
  • Shop
  • Giving Opportunities
Home / Alumni & Volunteer News / Alumnus partners with Ford to build life-saving equipment

April 7, 2020

Alumnus partners with Ford to build life-saving equipment

Categories: Alumni & Volunteer News

By Joe Kurle, Washington State '18

Jim Taggart, Lawrence Tech ’94, is not usually in the business of supporting the world’s health care workers. Unless they are driving a Ford, Nissan, Honda or Toyota on their way to complete their life-saving work, Jim’s work and theirs wouldn’t have a reason to intersect.

picture of Jim Taggert, Lawrence Tech '94
Jim Taggart, Lawrence Tech ’94

Taggart has spent more than 25 years in the automotive industry working in a number of capacities, from engineer to a vice president at Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, a company that builds wiring harnesses and electric wiring components for automobiles. 

Like a lot of people, work looks different for Taggart and his company as a result of the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing. “We were hit very hard by COVID-19,” said Taggert. “But I got a call from one of my sales guys who was meeting with Ford. Ford has been very public on building ventilators, so we thought that was the project, but they were actually trying to design a PAPR (powered air-purifying respirator) from scratch in a week and go to production.” 

PAPR
PAPR (Powered air-purifying respirator)

Taggart “took the reins” and worked with Ford to design the components for PAPRs, a type of personal protective equipment used to safeguard workers against contaminated air. These respirators have become critical in protecting healthcare workers as they treat those infected with COVID-19.

While any company and its employees would be happy to be working and conducting new business in such a time, Taggart is focused on the big-picture impact of his work.

“We understand the difficult situation and unprecedented time we’re in, and it had nothing to do with business — it had everything to do with helping.” Taggart said when discussing the opportunity to get approval from his executive management. “Everybody thought this was the right thing to do.”

Jim and his team were able to go from the design phase to production in only a number of weeks.

“I’m not in an industry that really can help. But here I am, with an opportunity to help. It was more about me volunteering my time to develop some quick solutions,” Taggart said. “It could be one of my loved ones out there or friends that are affected. I know people who were in hospitals that have been infected, and if they’d had these respiratory units, you know, maybe they wouldn’t.”

Taggart served his Michigan Theta chapter of SigEp at Lawrence Tech as a two-term president during his time as an undergraduate. He says it has molded him into who he is today and prepared him to act and do the right thing during this time. 

“We have the opportunity a lot of times to help our own brothers, but this is much bigger than us individually, to some extent, much bigger than the fraternity,” he said. “But the fraternity has molded us to be Balanced Men and this is the perfect opportunity to think about others and not be selfish. To do the right thing. Do what you can to help.”

If you know of another SigEp who is fighting COVID-19 in any way and would like to recognize them, please submit this form.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to the SigEp Journal Online

SigEp’s online source for Fraternity news, feature stories and how-to articles for you and your chapter.

Features

Fraternity News

Red Door Notes

Our Very Own Balanced Men

Chapter News

Alumni & Volunteer News

Conclave Chronicle

Training in 10

Educational Foundation

Commentary

In Memoriam

Press Releases

Want to make a submission?

Have a story to tell? Please submit news today!

To have a brother or volunteer recognized in SigEp's In Memoriam section, please submit an obituary.

Recent Posts

  • Fraternity remembers the life of Citation recipient Arthur Peterson
  • SigEp Citation recipient Kent “Oz” Nelson remembered
  • SigEp volunteers and staff recognized for excellence in fraternity advising
  • The National Undergraduate Advisory Council, a new way to get involved
  • From Big Brother to Manager

Questions?

For questions regarding the SigEp Journal Online, please contact our Marketing & Communications Team.

For questions regarding the SigEp Journal, please contact Journal Editor Tyya Turner.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity

310 South Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 353-1901

Contact our staff.

About SigEp

  • Mission Statement
  • Who We Are
  • Our Chapters
  • Chapter Support

The SigEp Experience

  • Awards
  • History & Facts
  • Programs

Resources

  • Chapter Officers
  • Volunteers
  • Help Documentation