There’s no limit to what you can build

At FDF RaceShop, he combines creativity, technology and hands-on manufacturing. Working in the engineering department, Alex uses advanced 3D scanning technology to capture the preciese shape and dimensions of drift and race cars. Those scans allow the team to design, reverse-engineer and produce custom performance parts.

“The best part for me is when I take a scan, bring it into the software and design a kit,” Alex says. “Then, a week or two later, I get to see the kit on a car.”

Cars have always been part of his life. Outside the shop, he rides dirt bikes, fishes and is building his own drift car: a tube-chassis 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit. He had also begun experimenting with 3D modelling and printing long before he considered doing it professionally.

Turning those interests into a career, however, required Alex to move beyond what he already knew.

He graduated from high school during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. With much of his schooling taking place from home, Alex worked steadily for his father’s company. The experience taught him the value of hard work and reliability, but after finishing high school, he began thinking more seriously about his future.

“I got to the point where I felt like I needed to expand my knowledge,” he says. “I’d only ever worked for my dad’s company, and I wanted to challenge myself.”

That decision led him to Loyalist College and the Mechanical Techniques certificate. The one-year program gave him a practical starting point in manufacturing and a foundation he would continue building on through further study at Loyalist.

It also placed him in an environment where curiosity and initiative were encouraged. Already drawn to design, Alex gravitated toward 3D modeling and looked for opportunities to take his work further.

“I started asking a lot of questions and really going over the top with my assignments,” he says. “That made me stand out a bit.”

One of Alex’s design instructors noticed. Knowing Alex’s interests and abilities, he encouraged him to bring a resumé to FDF RaceShop, a specialized motorsports manufacturer located close to home. A few months later, Alex joined the team.

“Through Loyalist, I had a connection with FDF,” he says. “I proved myself, showing that I was willing to learn and do more, and I got the opportunity.”

Less than a year into the role, Alex is contributing across the business. Along with scanning vehicles and designing components, he supports production scheduling, prepares assembly and fabrication drawings and coordinates orders moving through the shop’s waterjet and laser-cutting operations.

The variety keeps him learning, which is one of the things he values most about working at FDF. He describes a team that’s always looking for better ways to design, build and work together.

“If there’s a better way to do something, they’ll do it,” Alex says. “They’ll dedicate the time, the resources and the people to get it done.”

That commitment to improvement reflects one of the most important lessons Alex took from Loyalist.

“When you surround yourself with people who are trying to improve themselves, it pushes you to do the same,” he says. “It motivated me to do more and try the things I had dreamed about.”

That mindset fits the pace of the industry today. At FDF, technology, design and production are constantly evolving. For Alex, that means there is always something new to understand, refine or build.

“The more you know, the more you can do,” Alex says. “It’s never-ending. There’s always something more to understand about a car.”