Peyton Reed
Hometown | East Liverpool, Ohio
Major | Mechanical Engineering
Company | Pepperl+Fuchs
Location | Twinsburg, Ohio
Position | Sales Engineering Co-op
Peyton Reed, mechanical engineering student at The University of Akron.
What are your general co-op duties?
I worked independently and collaborated with fellow co-ops on various projects to better understand Pepperl+Fuchs as a company, while also learning more about our products and their applications. Projects included hands-on technical work with sensors to see how they operate, as well as assignments aligned with the sales process.
What surprises/unexpected outcomes have your experienced on co-op?
One of the biggest surprises during my co-op was realizing how much communication and relationship-building influence success in engineering — especially in a sales engineering role. I expected to focus mainly on technical problem-solving for customers, but I found that understanding their needs, listening carefully, and tailoring solutions were just as important as knowing the specs.
What has been the coolest part of your co-op experience?
During my summer rotation, I had the opportunity to travel to Michigan and ride along with several account managers in their respective territories. I was fortunate to visit a few of their top clients — well-known automotive companies you hear about every day. It was exciting to see how our products fit into the processes of both major corporations and smaller companies.
How will your co-op influence your career?
My co-op at Pepperl+Fuchs solidified my interest in a career that blends technical expertise with customer engagement. Experiencing the sales engineering role firsthand showed me how rewarding it is to serve as the bridge between innovative products and real-world applications. I discovered that I enjoy not only solving engineering problems, but also communicating solutions in ways that bring value to clients. This experience has shaped my career goals, steering me toward roles that combine engineering with business strategy. It also gave me confidence in my ability to succeed in fast-paced, customer-focused environments.
What have you learned as a co-op that you wouldn't have learned from your coursework?
Through this co-op, along with my previous rotations as a Packaging Engineering Intern at Henkel Corporation and a Manufacturing Engineering Co-op at Schaeffler Group USA, I’ve had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how engineering directly supports business objectives. At Pepperl+Fuchs, working in sales engineering exposed me to the intersection of technical expertise and customer-facing communication. I learned how to translate complex product specifications into clear value propositions for clients — a skill rarely emphasized in coursework. I also saw how decisions are shaped by market dynamics, customer needs, and strategic sales goals — areas not typically covered in the classroom. This experience strengthened my ability to think commercially while grounding my work in solid engineering principles. It showed me the importance of being not only technically strong, but also customer-focused and business-aware.