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M A N U F A C T U R I N G A L L S T A R S 2 0 2 1 11 How did you decide on this career path? I've always been interested in manufacturing and fabrication. Welding was my original path, but through that work I've been able to learn more skills that have helped me evolve to take on new experiences. One of the main reasons I chose to work at Fiberglass Solutions is the people. They knew I was not familiar with the fiberglass industry but knew of my ability to adapt and learn new skills. What education and training most prepared you with the necessary skills? I studied welding, blueprint reading, metallurgy and communication at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, and I received a leadership certification at NWTC. To be honest, I learn by doing. What prepared me most for this position was learning from others who have a lot of years of experience. What has been the most fulfilling experience you have had at your company? The respect I have received from both my employer and my customers. It makes all the difference when you've had a really hard day, and it makes it all worth it to know what I have done matters. Why would you encourage someone to enter the manufacturing field? It's a valuable career and the knowledge is never ending. It's also a field that isn't going anywhere — it's only evolving. CHEMIST my most impactful classes were instrumental analysis, statistics and logic courses. My training as a lab technician at Sanimax also was fundamental in my understanding of applying a scientific background to manufacturing. Are there perceptions about manufacturing careers you would like to change? Manufacturing is portrayed as a lower level of business. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Our manufacturing facilities and employees are the backbone of our economy and growth. What has been the most fulfilling experience you have had at your company? I worked on a project with 3M in which we were engineering an anodize process to provide consistent color on stethoscope pieces. Having the project be brought to fruition was awesome to see, and I was proud to have been a part of the team. Do you have a mentor? How did your mentor impact your career? My boss, Steve Goodsett, is a fountain of knowledge and has helped me with my development and growth both at Pioneer and as a professional in my career overall. He is always willing to give a helping hand but also provides me with the freedom to branch out and make decisions. www.optima-packaging.com/career S P O N S O R P A I D P R O F I L E OPTIMA MACHINERY CORP. Green Bay O ptima Machinery Corporation builds innovative packaging machine solutions with state- of-the-art technology. With locations and customers all over the world, we design and build packaging and filling machines as well as complete production lines for pharmaceutical, consumer, nonwovens and life science products. Optima is a worldwide leader in packaging machine solutions. We are also excited to be celebrating 35 years in our Green Bay, Wis. location in 2020. The success of our business lies solely on the dedication, attitude and hardworking characteristics of our employees. We work hard to make sure our employees have a good work life balance and plenty of opportunities to grow within our organization. Our employees travel all over the US, and abroad, to work with a variety of customers on a diverse range of packaging machines. Our machines package products from medical syringes to ground coffee and from toilet paper to snack food products and everything in between. Technology is always advancing and Optima continues to advance with it. Our employees work with the latest technologies and advancements in the packaging machine world. We have proprietary machine maintenance programs that interact with virtual reality glasses and many other innovations that make our machines more efficient and the best value for our customers. Optima continues to grow at a rapid pace, with a headquarters in Schwabisch Hall, Germany, 13 foreign branches, and over 2,250 colleagues around the world, including our main US office in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We offer paid training, growth opportunities, competitive benefits and pay, flexible work schedules, and plenty of travel opportunities. Visit www.optima-packaging.com/career to start your career with Optima today! Follow us: Facebook: www.facebook.com/OptimaMachineryCorporation LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/optima-machinery-corporation