Page 34 - MetalForming February 2013
P. 34

 Workforce Development\Eclipse Manufacturing Co.
  MetalForming/February 2013 www.metalformingmagazine.com
 Press operator and setup technician Eduardo Alvarez exemplifies Eclipse’s emphasis on motivating its self-direct- ed workforce to take responsibility for product quality. “It’s my job to keep our customers happy,” says Alvarez, “by providing quality parts on time. So I go out of my way to keep an eye on the supplier scorecards management puts together, for our key customers. That way I can keep track of how we are doing, and understand how what I do fits into the overall picture.”
supervisory-management training, for his rise in the company ranks. He participated in the first group to undergo lean training at Eclipse. And, to prepare him for management responsibilities (Magritz oversees 24 direct and indirect employees), Eclipse had him attend courses at MRA—The Management Association, a not-for-profit employers associa- tion with four Midwest locations, including one in Waukesha, WI.
Magritz’s work in the mainte- nance department proved vital to developing one of the firm’s core competencies—multistrip stamping and in-die assembly, which earned Eclipse its 2011 PMA Product Design Award. As work leader in one of the firm’s multi-strip rooms, Magritz helped develop the process to the point where production could take it over from the maintenance and tool- room departments.
“That’s a very complex process,” he says, “where as many as 86 sta- tions from four coil feeds produce
four parts simultaneously in a single progressive-die press.
“While at MRA,” Magritz contin- ues, “I learned several types of man- agement and communication skills, how to motivate people and deal with issues.” His course load at MRA com- prised twice-weekly classes for 10 weeks. “Before attending the classes, I knew I had the knowledge and apti- tude to manage, but I needed to learn how to use my skills to motivate peo- ple and get the results we were look- ing for. I’ve become, I believe, fair, friendly and firm, to keep everyone working hard toward a common goal.”
How has bringing his manage- ment style and acumen to the shop floor paid off? “Our shift is more of an intertwined group now,” Magritz says, “with a great deal of communi- cation amongst the employees. This has made it much easier and more efficient to work through challenges. The production workers help each other without my intervention, and our more experienced employees mentor those less-experienced. At first I would get called over to help with every little issue. Now I can spend my time on more meaningful projects.”
Another production-floor worker promoted into management is Stuart Free, who walked into Eclipse in 1989 as a forklift driver, moved into powder coating in the mid-’90s, and was tapped to be shipping and powder- coat supervisor early in 2012. When we visited Eclipse late in 2012, Free was enthusiastically awaiting his opportunity to enlist in the same MRA Supervisor Training series of which Magritz speaks so highly.
Free supervises four employees in shipping and as many as seven (depending on work load) in pow- der coating. His focus has been to “find ways for them to do their jobs better,” Free says. “Communication is the key, I believe. I try to keep every- one informed about the work coming today, tomorrow and for the days
ahead, so they can plan and think ahead. We want to keep moving and eliminate any idle time.”
Meet Press Operator and Setup Technician Eduardo Alavrez
After 18 months on the job, Eduardo Alvarez rose from a labor Grade 3 to Grade 1, having leapt at every on-the-job training opportu- nity provided on what plant man- ager Dick Reese calls “our most crit- ical press. Eduardo stepped right into that hot spot,” Reese says, “and has flourished.”
Alvarez, whose family moved to the United States from Mexico 23 years ago, “always speaks up if the training he’s receiving isn’t enough,” Reese continues. “He pushes our managers and the mentors working with him on the floor to learn more and identify areas where he can make an impact, by expanding just beyond press operations. For example, he’s asked for and has received extra training in press controls.”
For his part, Alvarez says: “It’s my job to keep our customers happy, by providing quality parts on time. So I gooutofmywaytokeepaneyeon the supplier scorecards that man- agement receives from our customers and posts on the shop-floor bulletin boards. That way I can keep track of how we are doing, and understand how what I do fits into the overall picture. As a production team on the shop floor, this helps us focus on per- formance as a team and as a compa- ny, beyond how we function just as individuals.
“Being part of a team, working toward common goals,” Alvarez con- tinues, “has been much more reward- ingtomeandledtoamuch improved lifestyle compared to my previous experiences working in manufacturing, where everyone seemed to work for themselves, kept to themselves and therefore didn’t really contribute to the overall health of the company.” MF
  

















































































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