Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1188582
4 N E W M A N U F A C T U R I N G A L L I A N C E COURTESY OF ALEX ZACARIAS, 3N PRODUCTIONS, LLC Megan Brown Samuel Pressure Vessel Group, Marinette What does your company make? Pressure vessels (containers designed to hold substances at high pressures). How do your company's products make a difference in people's lives? The pressure vessels we mend and manufacture can be found in hospitals, farms, construction sites and other manufacturing facilities. They can help people or help the environment on farms, turning waste into a usable fuel. Why do you enjoy your job? The No. 1 thing I really enjoy about my job is being able to say, "I made that." I take extreme pride in working with my hands. To take raw materials and a blueprint and turn them into a usable product is very rewarding. Knowing the customer who purchased it will use it to help their business is awesome to me. How did you decide on this career path? This career path kind of fell into my lap. I began wanting to be a veterinarian, but I decided all the schooling was not what I wanted. My dad talked about changing his career path to welding. I helped him research schools and options, and then I decided to give welding a try. I completed the course through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and never looked back. Are there perceptions about manufacturing careers you would like to change? The biggest perception of manufacturing careers WELDER Online: Watch Megan talk about welding at Samuel Pressure Vessel Group. newmfgalliance.org Check out Samuel Pressure Vessel Group's website at samuel.com. N E W M A N U FA C T U R I N G A L L I A N C E ALL STAR O What does your company manufacture? Automated packaging equipment. How do your company's products make a difference in people's lives? We manufacture machines that package everything from diapers to pharmaceuticals, so whether it is a product for convenience or to save a life, it is rewarding to be involved in the process. What are your job duties? Setup, startups and training customers on new machines and service support for existing machines. Why do you enjoy your job? Every day is a different and unique challenge. It is very rewarding when I get to travel to a customer's facility to set up or service one of our machines and see the impact it makes on the great people we get to work with. Why do you choose to live in Northeast Wisconsin? I grew up here and have watched our area grow in both industry and culture. I've always been proud to call Northeast Wisconsin home. How did you decide on this career path? I have always been a very hands-on, mechanical person with a curiosity to see how things work or how they are made. I also grew up with several family members who were in this line of work, and I always found it intriguing. What classes and training most prepared you with the necessary skills? I would give a lot of credit to the technical education courses I Devin DeBaker Optima Machinery Corp., Green Bay FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN N E W M A N U FA C T U R I N G A L L I A N C E ALL STAR O Online: Watch Devin talk about his work at Optima Machinery Corp. newmfgalliance.org Check out Optima's website at optima-packaging.com.