 Lars Eggenstein has lived in Michigan for less than two years but if you talk to him, he’ll tell you things usually only lifelong residents know about.
From weighing in on who has the best coney dog, American Coney Island or Lafayette Coney Island, (spoiler alert, he likes them equally) to taking his 2001 Jeep Wrangler TJ out on the sand dunes and trails of Northern Michigan, Eggenstein has made it his mission to see and do as much as he can. So far, he has also taken in all of Michigan’s professional sports teams (he admits to being somewhat puzzled by the popularity of baseball) and participated in the annual Marche du Nain Rouge celebration in Detroit.
“There are just a ton of things to do outside,” said Eggenstein through a noticeable German accent. “You can go camping and experience the four seasons. I love having the change in the weather.”
“I’ve been up to the Upper Peninsula and seen the beauty of the Pictured Rocks, kayaking with Riverside Kayak Connection on the Detroit River and I’m really hoping to experience more of the off-road trails,” he added. “I think one of the best things you can do in coming here is just embrace all the opportunities that are before you.”
The admitted outdoor enthusiast moved from his native Germany with his wife in July 2014 to the Detroit suburb of Northville to work as a project manager for the Vehicle Integrated Systems unit at IAV Automotive Engineering Inc., a global consulting company for the automotive industry. He specializes in developing advanced driver assistance systems and other related projects for several IAV partners including Microsoft.
Having spent some time at another engineering consulting agency before being hired by IAV, Eggenstein said Michigan offers consulting firms a wide range of opportunities to work with multiple companies tied to the industry without requiring much in the way of traveling.
“In Michigan, it’s completely different than in Europe because the whole industry seems to be in a 20-mile radius,” he said. “In Germany, you have to travel 600 kilometers to get from one OEM to another. But here, you just get in the car and get on the highway and you’re just a few exits away. Plus all the major suppliers are here as well.”
Another bonus of being in the home to the North American auto industry is just how international this region is – in cuisine, culture and work.
“I’ve met more people from around the globe here than I met while working in Germany,” he said.
Like Eggenstein, engineers from all over the world follow opportunities in the automotive industry where the demand for experience with advanced technologies, like driver features and experiments in autonomous driving, make them a hot commodity to companies in Michigan and beyond.
“California is the consumer electronics world, but the big advantage of Michigan is they have this massive experience with cars and with the functional safety technologies related to the vehicle,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities being taken here to support the development of this technology and I think the West and Midwest could learn from each other. I think the Californian tech companies will learn there are some necessary development processes for safety features that are critical and reliable to ensure humans are safe in their vehicles.”
Wish to explore Michigan's great outdoors? Visit Michigan.org to plan your next trip, or check out Pure Michigan Talent Connect to find for your next career opportunity in the Great Lakes State.
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