UMaine Honors Puritan Medical Products’ Director of Engineering
Guilford, ME - On May 12, Puritan Medical Products’ Derek McKenney, director of engineering, will receive the Spirit of Maine Achievement Award from the University of Maine Alumni Association. This award is given to UMaine alumni who have graduated within 15 years of receiving the award and who have shown remarkable success in their careers. McKenney was chosen as this year’s recipient of this award for the work he has done over the past two years to help Puritan ramp up production of COVID-19 testing swabs and open new facilities in Pittsfield, Maine and Orlinda, Tennessee.
McKenney graduated from the University of Maine in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. During his time at UMaine, McKenney held a summer internship position at Puritan between 2011 to 2013. In 2016, he joined Puritan full-time and as a second-generation employee of Puritan Medical Products. In his current role, McKenney works to ensure constant improvement and innovation in Puritan’s products as well as manage facility upgrades, machinery builds and new product manufacturing.
“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my alma mater,” stated McKenney. “The four years I spent in the mechanical engineering program have been the foundation of my career. Over the past two years during the pandemic, I’ve been able to leverage my skills and education as part of Puritan Medical Products’ COVID-19 response. I am grateful l was able to play a role in providing COVID testing supplies for patients across the country.”
The Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony will take place on May 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. as a virtual event. The event is free and open to the public. The awards will be given out in a TV-broadcast style format hosted by UMaine alumnus and retired journalist, Bill Green. Prominent alumni will also be in attendance such as Governor Janet Mills, Maine Supreme Court Justice Andrew Mead and Puritan’s own co-owner and executive vice president, Timothy Templet.
