Packer Engineering: Engineers with Answers

John W. Kidd

Vice President, Technical Services

Mr. Kidd has over 30 years of experience with Packer Engineering. In his current position, Mr. Kidd assumes responsibility for direction and coordination of all technical-related resources within the company. Throughout his career, Mr. Kidd has gained vast experience in all stages of field inspection, accident investigation, and test preparation and performance. He frequently utilizes hands-on experience to provide liaison support to outside testing facilities to meet specialized needs of our clients.

Since joining Packer Engineering in 1975, Mr. Kidd's extensive laboratory and field experience has included automobile, motorcycle and off-road vehicle crash testing, field inspections, accident reconstruction, vehicle preparation and site documentation using digital surveying equipment. He has worked with instrumentation, strain gauging, transducer preparation and calibration, and computer data acquisition systems for the measurements of acceleration, force, temperature, pressure, strain and displacement.

He has participated in hundreds of nondestructive field investigations, including weld inspections for the utility industry. Additionally, he played an active role in the development of Packer Engineering's metallography testing program. He is currently certified by the State of California for handgun testing. His experience includes accident reconstruction, gun safety, operation, mechanisms, barrel failure, failure analysis and ammunition.

Prior to joining Packer Engineering, Mr. Kidd was employed as an automotive mechanic, truck driver and heavy equipment operator. Mr. Kidd applies his experience in all areas of vehicular engineering, including issues associated with automobiles, heavy trucks and airplanes.

Mr. Kidd is skilled in photographic documentation, including photography and videotaping, surveying techniques, stereo compilation and computer-aided design and drafting. He holds certifications in Level 11 - Ultrasonics (ASNT-TC-lA), Level II - Magnetic Particle & Dye Penetrant Testing and Certified Welder. Mr. Kidd has a Commercial Driver's License for combination vehicles and he is the principal test driver for the company. He also holds a private pilot's license.