As CRA celebrates its 60th anniversary, we’re highlighting colleagues who have shaped our history across the decades. This feature spotlights Principal Michael “Mike” Loreth.
What was life like working in the 1970s?
“Things were quite a bit different at CRA in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. There was no internet and most of our research had to be done by making phone calls and going to libraries. We didn’t have personal computers, and our reports were created on electric typewriters. The expression ‘cut and paste’ came from the fact that our documents were literally cut with a knife and glued together. When making graphs we used graph paper, and they were all done by hand. Our publications department traced them on a light table with black ink. When we finally got computers, we had to share them. At one point, we had one IBM computer for the entire company of about 100 people.”
What’s a company tradition that you remember fondly?
“One tradition that I remember fondly was when we had “wine and cheese” parties periodically on Friday nights. CRA would spring for drinks and people would make food to bring. My wife and two kids would come into the office, and we would all have a good time. It was very informal, and it was a great way to wind down after a tough week.”
Who is someone that has made a big impact on you while you were here?
“The person that had the most impact on me was Jay Agarwal. He joined CRA a few months before me and was looking for a chemical engineer that could help him with the type of projects he was trying to bring in. Jay hired me at CRA more than 45 years ago and was a mentor to me for decades. He passed away five years ago, and I miss him very much. He was very kind, intelligent, hardworking, and always made the time to instruct a right-out-of-school engineer. He loved working and I felt he would never retire. He remained sharp throughout his career. He was a very pleasant person to be with, and I really miss our conversations.”
What is your most treasured possession?
“My most treasured physical possession is one of my vehicles. It is a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spyder with a gated shifter. I bought it in 2020 during the early days of COVID. It was one of those purchases that I was going to make someday, but when COVID came I said, “Why wait?” I don’t drive it all that often; it needs to be a very nice day. I do get a lot of looks from people and a few thumbs up. It is very fun to drive.”
What is your motto?
“My motto is to be happy with what you have, while working for what you want. I have worked hard all my life to get what I wanted, but I was always happy with what I had. I always try to keep a good attitude even when things don’t always go the way I want.”
What is your favorite hobby?
“There are two things I like to do outside of work, and it depends on the season. During the winter months I love to go skiing. It makes the winter go by so much faster. I try to go to Sunday River in Maine every other weekend and typically ski Saturday through Monday. I usually wish the winter season was longer, but I do look forward to the warmer weather when I turn to biking. My friends and I like to ride on former railroad lines that were converted to multiuse trails. I feel a lot safer on these trails than I do on the roadways. There seem to be too many distracted drivers these days.”
