Farewell Mike

Mike had a great run at Locus — in just under 4 years he went from quarry machinery guru to product design magician. Now he’s off to disrupt the lighting industry, so we thought we’d share the impression he left.

Thinking of Mike Peterson, the team remembers:

• He had an epic run of What if Wednesday meals; Mike was a bit of a wild card and we never knew what we were going to get. His very first What if, he presented wedges. From the freezer to the oven, topped with cheese. Yet he also did dripping with sauce braised ribs and hand filled chicken pies. Another time he ordered pizza for the team to avoid cooking. He always talked about making cronuts, but hasn’t delivered… (hint, hint, it’s not too late Mike!)
• Dissatisfied with the mess coming out of our coffee grinder, he modelled and 3D printed an attachment to direct coffee grounds more effectively into the portafilter.
• Mike was a trash compactor for information and design. His approach to design and engineering lead to the Ubco 2×2 frame and Inverse body & cores.
• All those ideas couldn’t be contained — he had lots of interesting observations/thoughts that he would vocalize at random! The outbursts were always entertaining.
• Mike is very particular and has great attention to detail. My email inbox is now thoroughly organized with all emails filed into projects and sent/received after seeing his!
• Mike is a Solidworks magician and can quickly come up with solutions. He would build an idea he had into a CAD concept in no time! He’s perfected the Solidworks customized layout with the tools that are most useful, organised over 10 years of refinement.
• Mike was on an everlasting journey to find the best audio solution in his car or at home. Searching for the best-in-category Bluetooth receiver, best audio stream input, and best speakers to match. I think he even ended up building a custom entertainment cupboard from reclaimed Kauri wood. I love the commitment he shows for detail in and out of the studio.
• He’s a man focused on the essential. Mike is a legend at cutting through fluff and getting to the core of an issue. His ability to focus in on what he saw as the main issue provoked some great conversations, and helped push us all to deliver our best work.

Thanks to Mike for all your time & effort you put into Locus. We know you’re destined for great things and wish you all the best in your new venture.

–The Locus Team