Meet Brian Mills, Engineering Lead at Finite Engineering

Aspiring students of science and technology living in Missouri and surrounding states share a similar future endeavor – to attend the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri. The engineering school is highly rated and graduates go on to fill vital roles in many fields. Brian Mills, an engineering lead at Finite Engineering, is one of those graduates.
 
The Springfield, Missouri native had always been “technically minded” and someone who, like his carpenter father, enjoyed working with his hands.
 
“I was always good at math,” Mills said, “so that led me in the direction of engineering.”
 
College prep courses in high school paved the way to a two-year engineering co-op program at Missouri State with the final two years of coursework completed at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.
 
Mills said he “shifted a little bit” in his interests between high school, where he was initially involved in vocational electronics, and his college course of study, which went to a more generalized mechanical engineering emphasis.
 
“The purpose of an engineer is to make sure something works,” Mills explained. “We take that for granted: We get in a car and it drives. We drive over a bridge and it doesn’t fall down.”
 
Fresh out of college with a Bachelor of Science in engineering, Mills embarked on a 20-year career working for manufacturing companies that specialized in processing equipment, pressure vessels and storage tanks among other types of products. Mills then set out on his own for 10 years as a consultant. In 2021, Finite enticed Mills with an offer to work with its team of professionals.
 
“I like working for a firm like Finite because all the projects are different and I like the variety,” he said, adding that the customer-centric approach at Finite is a great fit. “At Finite we are working to develop a culture where people enjoy working here – they understand what our mission is, that we help the clients and we do that through supporting them with solutions.”
 
Mills’ many years of manufacturing experience with pressure vessel process tanks make him the go-to engineer for these projects at Finite where he also leads the Finite Elements Analysis portion of the business.
 
“For me, it comes down to problem solving,” he said of what excites him about his career. “If you have a problem, Finite has a solution.”