What was your first job?
I never really had any interest in getting into manufacturing. My first job was in retail at Gabriel Brothers. I started working at Gabriel Brothers when I turned 16. I worked there until I was 19. My main goal was to save up enough money to buy my first car. An interesting fact is that I met my wife about halfway through my last year of work there.

What do you do in your current role?
In my current role, I am a supervisor of product service. My team is tasked with manufacturing one of the five devices that make up a lifevest. Our facility is being considered as a service facility, which means that everything that comes into the facility has been worn by a patient. Some of our devices even saved some of the patients’ lives. My job is to manage, which includes hiring new candidates, communicating, counseling, listening, developing, and planning for a team of 33 employees.

How/why did you begin your career in manufacturing?
I was looking for a place that I could make a career out of. A place I could learn and grow. I was starting a family and did not really have any interest in going back to school. To be honest, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career. I just knew I wanted to find a place I could establish myself.

What is your educational background?
I graduated from high school and received my diploma in 2009. I went to college for a semester. I was unsure of what I wanted to go for, so I just did some of the general classes out of the way, but never went back.

What do you like most about your current position and work you are doing in manufacturing?
It is a gift to be able to assist in the development and leadership of others. I want to be a leader, not a boss. I want to be somebody who my team values as a peer. It is nice to know that I helped take part in saving someone’s life or the life of a loved one.

What is the biggest thing that surprised you about manufacturing when you started working in the industry?
The different career paths and the workplace environment When most people think of manufacturing, they think of a 9–5 job that is a dirty workplace environment.

What is your #1 piece of advice for young people to prepare for a successful future?
Don’t be afraid to fail but never accept failure.

Why should someone consider a career in manufacturing?
Always opportunity for growth. Always something different to do.

 What is something you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my family. I love playing whatever spots my kids are into at the time. I enjoy watching them grow and learn. I am also very passionate about riding BMX bikes, weight lifting, hiking, and seeing how far I can push myself.