Devin Null of Hurricane didn’t take long to prove himself after joining Cyclops Industries in South Charleston.
When Null first arrived there for his position as a CNC machinist, the company’s computer-numerical-control mill was out of service. Rather than wait for someone else to tackle the problem, the recent graduate of the Machinist Technology/CNC Program offered through the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC) and Mountwest Community and Technical College immediately went to work. He researched the machine, diagnosed the issue and made the necessary repairs to bring the machine back online.
“Devin got it up and running, which was just amazing considering how much time he put into it,” said Kim Mack, president and owner of the family business. “Anything we ask him to do, he’s willing to learn. Just excellent. We couldn’t ask for a better employee.”
Mack first met Null during one of MAMC’s reverse job fairs, which connect graduating students with prospective employers.
“I was very impressed,” Mack recalled. “He was top of his class. We were fortunate he would even look at us with all of the bigger companies there. He did the interview, we offered him the job and the rest, as they say, is history. He’s been a really great addition to our company.”
At Cyclops, Null machines metal components to tolerances of plus or minus two-and-a-half thousandths of an inch.
“We engineer a lot of extra structural mass into our parts,” he explained. “It’s a safety factor. We want to make sure they’re on spec so everything lines up perfectly — no movement in our parts, no play and no chance for failure.”
For Null, machining is about more than precision. It is about craftsmanship.
“I enjoy taking raw material, seeing what you’re going to make out of it and having the pride of making that happen,” he said. “It’s not something just anybody can do. It takes a lot of skill to make something you can really be proud of.”
In addition to serving as Cyclops’ CNC machinist, Null assists with manual machining, computer-aided design work and a variety of other operations. He is learning every stage of the company’s production process, from sandblasting, lamination and glass potting to final cleaning, inspection, packaging and shipping of the company’s proprietary industrial sight glasses, which are sold throughout the United States and in nearly 40 countries.
Longtime MAMC Machinist Instructor Rick Smoot said Null stood out from the beginning.
“He was an exemplary student — a go-getter and a very smart guy,” Smoot said.
Students in MAMC’s machining program are required to earn at least three industry credentials through the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS). Null earned all seven certifications.
“He was one of those students who truly wanted an education and pursued it with a passion,” Smoot said.
Null completed the MAMC program a semester early. He began taking general education colleges courses at age 16 and had finished them by the time he turned 18.
His interest in machining grew from a longtime hobby.
“I do a lot of blacksmithing,” Null explained. “When you do blacksmithing, you have to make all of your own tools. You have to machine things like punch dies, power hammer components, presses and other tools.”
Homeschooled as a youngster, Null pursued machining to fulfill his high school vocational requirements. He also tinkered in his own home machine shop equipped with mills and lathes.
“I wanted to get more professional with it, and that’s how I came to enroll in the MAMC Machinist Technology/CNC Program,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience at MAMC, Null said the program exceeded his expectations.
“I loved it,” he said. “I wouldn’t go anywhere else in the state for machining training. The instructors are very knowledgeable and very hands-on. They know exactly what you’re trying to do, so if you have difficulty, they’re always there to give you advice.”
To learn more about Cyclops Industries, visit the company’s website at www.cyclopswv.com. Additional information about MAMC’s Machinist Technology/CNC Program is available at www.mfg.marshall.edu/machinist-cnc.
May 28, 2026
