For On The Floor: How Did I Get Here?

The paths people take to reach their career goals can give us an idea of what makes a nation’s workers great. Having heard the backgrounds of many maintenance professionals over the years, I thought it worthwhile to relate some of these compelling stories. With that in mind, and Labor Day 2014 as a backdrop, I asked our Efficient Plant Reader Panelists to share highlights of their own career paths, with a focus on the influences and circumstances that led them to the positions they occupy today. You may see yourself in some of their accounts. While each is different, there are recurring themes. And all address in some way what’s at the heart of today’s maintenance professional. Here are our Panelists’ stories:

Q: What life circumstances, including influences from parents, friends and others, led you to become a maintenance professional?

“I was out of school in 1979 for one week when I started work in a machine shop. My grandfather, my wife’s grandfather, her father, my dad and my uncle all worked for the same shop. I was pretty much destined for this type of work. I started as a general laborer. In 1982, things got slow and I left the business. In 1993, I returned to the same shop that by then had changed names. I entered an apprenticeship program there and learned my craft. After six years, I left to start at my current employer.”

… Maintenance Leader, Midwest

“During high school, I took a class in electricity and electronics. These subjects came easy to me. So when I joined the Navy after high school, I made sure to get a job in the electrical field. After the Navy, I continued in the manufacturing maintenance field and have continued to this day. My biggest influence was my high-school electronics teacher. He was a retired Navy ET [Electronics Technician] who made sense of the trade make for me and made it fun.”

… Production Support Manager, Midwest

“From age three on, I enjoyed taking things apart. They didn’t always go back together, but I was fascinated to see how things worked and why.”

… Maintenance Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic

“I wanted to contribute some income and learn something ‘fun’ while on my school vacation of 1954. I had just turned 13, the legal age to become an apprentice [in my country]. A friend of my parents owned a steel shop where they made custom doors, windows and railings for the construction trade. They gave me a job grinding the excess in the welding and painting the product.”

… Consultant, Midwest

“I went to vocational school to learn car repair in my senior year of high school, and ended up getting a job at a local garage right out of school. After a few years, I got an opportunity to work on trenchers, backhoes and other digging and boring equipment. It was there that I learned about hydraulics and mechanical drives, such as chains, gears and belts.”

… Maintenance Mechanic, South

“Until I was 18, I lived and worked on a dairy farm with lots of cows and other critters. Besides taking care of the animals, farm life included fix-or-repair everything daily. Welding was done with a battery and a metal coat hanger, bailing wire fixed all, and you learned unique ways to repair fencing, piping, valves, engines, etc. It was troubleshooting at its best.”

… Former Chief Maintenance Engineer (now college instructor), West

“I’ve always had a passion for machinery, and from an early age my parents encouraged that passion.”

… Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Midwest

“It was more or less an accident. Summer internships during college created some good connections, and after college I was offered a spot as a maintenance planner. The biggest influences were the people I worked with on the internships.”

… Maintenance Engineer, West 

Q: How did your abilities and interest in working with your hands evolve?

“I really like hands-on work. I consider myself a perfectionist. The machines we use run in microns for a finish. If I get it set up to .0005, I can and will get it closer. It’s just the way I operate. This comes from my father. He was an ace set-up man, and I’m proud to have had him as my mentor. I worked under him as an apprentice, and, believe me, he didn’t hold back a thing.”

… Maintenance Leader, Midwest

“When I was growing up, if you wanted something done, you needed to do it yourself. So if the bike was broken, you fixed it or if you wanted a tree fort you built it. The money was not there to just go buy something new. So it was a natural transition when I got older to work with my hands to make things work the way they were intended to.”

… Production Support Manager, Midwest

“In high school, I applied to and was accepted at [a trade school] in New York. After school hours and during the summer I worked as a messenger, an electroplater and a retail clerk. When I graduated, I served in the infantry for three years. After that, I tried many different jobs from florist to taxi driver and insurance sales, but my love of tinkering always called me back.”

… Maintenance Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic

“One day when I arrived at my job in the steel shop, I was told by the welder there was no work for me because the grinder was broken. My dad had taught me a lot about fixing things, so I took the grinder apart and realized that the brushes were worn out and the bearings were in poor shape. When I told the shop owner what I had done, he gave me the money to get the parts I needed. The trust he showed made me feel good. This job paid about $5 a week. Before long, the owner showed me a room full of dusty tools, welders and other broken tools and equipment. He then said, ‘From now on, you are the maintenance guy. You will be making $10 per week.’ That started my passion for maintenance.”

… Consultant, Midwest

“My interest started with my dad when we would fix cars during my teenage years. I never felt that I was a natural working with my hands, but with practice I developed the skills I needed.”

… Maintenance Mechanic, South

“I went to engineering school because I loved to build things. The more I learned about how and why things worked, the more excited I became about the mechanics of equipment. When I was at college, I worked as a third-shift mechanic in an aluminum die-cast plant. During this time, I received the opportunity to work as an intern at a GE plant, which further expanded my passion for the maintenance profession.”

… Former Chief Maintenance Engineer (now college instructor), West

“Because of our family financial situation, we purchased used or broken items and returned them (most times) to their intended use.”

… Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Midwest

“My dad was a mechanic, so I was exposed to that sort of work early. Later, all of my high school and college summer jobs involved either operating heavy equipment or repairing heavy equipment. It wasn’t by design, it just turned out that way.”

… Maintenance Engineer, West 

Q: What was your first “real” manufacturing job like? 

“My first manufacturing job was as an Engineering Technician for an automation company. It involved going to customer job sites to install, modify and repair equipment built by the company I worked for. I also trained customer maintenance teams. It was eye-opening. I didn’t know what a photoelectric eye or PLC was, so there was a steep learning curve. I think sometimes getting thrown to the wolves makes or breaks a person. For me, it helped me understand customer expectations, getting the job done right the first time and what is expected of newly installed machines.”

… Production Support Manager, Midwest

“My first manufacturing job was in a factory that specialized in electroplating. I cleaned the tanks, filled them, and actually got the chance to take junk, if you will, and make it look beautiful and expensive. It was interesting and fun. The fumes given off were not the nicest, but I got used to it.”

… Maintenance Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic

“After five years working on construction equipment, I went to a local factory that made bucket trucks. I started in assembly, but soon took a welding class they offered and switched to fabrication. Two years later, I took a maintenance position where I am today. It is a culmination of all my previous jobs with the addition of pump, compressor and cooling-fan maintenance.”

… Maintenance Mechanic, South

“My first manufacturing job was at a die-cast plant.  The job was a beginning level third-shift mechanic, six days a week, plus classes and studying. I worked with three other excellent mechanics who taught me a lot about how to run the operation correctly. We repaired equipment under some of the worst conditions, including molten metal that you did not want to cool off. The pressure ran high many times. So I became a good troubleshooter. During this time I became a machinist, better welder, basic electrician, basic plumber and a die-caster. I was there for three years.”

… Former Chief Maintenance Engineer (now college instructor), West

“During college and summers, I worked for a plastic injection-mold company, performing mechanical drafting, parts illustration and some minor design work. The work was interesting, but my heart was still with rotating machinery.”

… Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Midwest

“My first manufacturing job was with an aircraft manufacturer as a manufacturing engineer, or ‘planner.’ I basically wrote step-by-step instructions for how to build tools that were used to build small parts for airplanes. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”

… Maintenance Engineer, West 

Q: What do you like most about your current job?

“I enjoy the challenge of keeping a 24/7 plant running. It can be stressful at times, but when things work out well you feel very satisfied. I am 53 years old and have been in this type of work for 24 years now.”

… Maintenance Leader, Midwest

“I enjoy working with different maintenance managers to show them a different way to view maintenance and help them implement reliability excellence into their day-to-day operations. This can be challenging, since reactive maintenance has been the only way many have known. Previously, I was viewed and compensated on how fast I could fix a problem. My current views are in stark contrast to that. Today, I am 100% for reliability excellence through the use of best practices in all areas of business and management, manufacturing processes, reliability, leadership, work management and others.”

… Production Support Manager, Midwest

“I enjoy the freedom this job affords me as well as the knowledge I have gained, which makes me a valuable asset to my company. I can actually say that I didn’t just take this work because it was the best offer. I took it because I knew I would fit in and as it worked out, I have proven the adage that if you enjoy your job, you don’t mind the hours. It has been a good run and I plan to stay until it stops being something I enjoy.”

… Maintenance Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic

“Today, my joy is to keep helping companies improve their maintenance operations, write articles and produce educational videos. There are many things to learn in our trade and I have not stopped looking for and adopting them.”

… Consultant, Midwest

“We are a small facility, so I have to be familiar with the entire plant. I like feeling ‘plugged in’ to everything and feel like I am important to its success. I am also given a lot of freedom to purchase the equipment and training I need to stay current with changing technologies. I think this is a great profession with a very bright future. I have and will continue to encourage young people to pursue a career in maintenance.”

… Maintenance Mechanic, South

“My last manufacturing job was at a food-processing complex. I enjoyed it because I worked the night shift and there was little politics in the way. At this management level, I was able to train the maintenance crews to understand their responsibilities to the overall goals of the organization. My goals are now to develop passion in others to become top maintenance people in manufacturing, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, automation controls and other areas, but some days I feel as if I am fighting a losing battle.”

… Former Chief Maintenance Engineer (now college instructor), West

“I enjoy the flexibility and encouragement for development that the organization promotes. This allowed me to go into PM, PdM and Reliability Engineering where the organization encouraged me to enter management and complete certification for my CMRP, CRL and CRE.”

… Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Midwest

“I like the stability and the pay. I’ve always enjoyed it, and I encourage young people to consider maintenance and reliability as a profession for themselves.”

… Maintenance Engineer, West

About the EP Reader Panel

The Efficient Plant Reader Panel includes approximately 100 working industrial maintenance practitioners and consultants who have volunteered to answer bi-monthly questions prepared by our editorial staff. Panelist identities are not revealed, and their responses are not necessarily projectable. The Panel welcomes new members: Have your comments and observations included in this column by joining the EP Reader Panel. To be considered, e-mail your name and contact information to rcarter@atpnetwork.com with “Reader Panel” in the subject line. All Panelists are automatically included in an annual cash-prize drawing after one year of active participation.