Newark-he is an inventor. He sees the world in a different light.

"The journey through an invention has led me on countless paths," Trace Johnson explained. "I like to create and then explain my ideas to the world and find the commercial viability of the invention. It puts my mind in a state of limitless opportunities."

Johnson, 28, lives in Newark and grew up in Heath until he was 14.

"Although I didn't understand until later," he said, "The engineering career seems to be obvious early on. My parents sometimes retell the story of my childhood on a roller coaster, saying: "When all the other kids are smiling and having fun When very happy, Tres was expressionless and focused on observing all the gears and bearings as they moved. ""

When he was a teenager, his family moved to Newark. He graduated from Licking Valley High School in 2012, although he spent most of his time in COTC.

"I rarely see high school," he recalled. "At COTC, I studied architectural design, electromechanical engineering, and electronic engineering. There, I participated in an exchange program in Italy. The leader of that trip, John Berry, the current COTC president, was to me An extraordinary role model because of the way he interacts with the Italian community."

"I respect the variability of the world of thought and behavior," Johnson continued. "The language we use, the dishes we serve, the system we try to educate ourselves. Whether talking with colleagues in the UK or China, I benefit from this travel experience every day."

"Trace is an extraordinary person," Berry commented. "His curious nature coupled with a desire to serve the community is unparalleled. He is always thinking, trying to create new things or redefine what is already in use. I can say without a doubt that Tres is currently, And will definitely continue to be, a man of strength, determination and character."

During his internship at COTC (before he went to Oregon State University to study electrical engineering), Johnson invented the homogenizer water recovery system at Tamarak Farm Dairy.

"During my internship, I did a lot of drafting work," he recalled. "I was eventually commissioned to do design work for the facility. My supervisor allowed me to start a complete redesign of the machine. The project can sort stacks of milk crates. I redesigned it to fix many defects."

"At the same time," Johnson continued, "I heard many complaints about water waste associated with homogenizers. I started to study the theoretical process of capturing, circulating water, and returning water to the homogenizer. It turned out to be the case. A very complex project, but under the great investment of the staff of the Tamarak plant and the wonderful supervision advice of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, I invented the homogenizer water circulation system. I showed the design to Kroger, and the latter purchased the first The prototype was placed in the Tamarack Farms Dairy factory."

"Trace has tremendous power and motivation," commented David Joens, senior engineering director at Tamarack Farms Dairy. "He really devoted himself to work."

"In the beginning," Joens continued, "he made himself too skinny. Once he narrowed his business to only focus on reducing water consumption, this was the beginning of big things. When he was able to do a lot with his family His patience and perseverance finally paid off when a major contractor who supplies equipment to a food manufacturing plant established a partnership."

"Looking back," Johnson replied, "I am surprised how many outstanding people selflessly provided their knowledge and resources to enrich my life. I may never fully understand that through this public support system, people Life can actually get better."

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Aces of Trades is a weekly series that focuses on people and their jobs—whether they are unusual jobs, interesting jobs, or people who do ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have any suggestions for future personal information, please let us know at Advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.