Page 38 - MetalForming February 2013

Workforce Development\Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC
MetalForming/February 2013 www.metalformingmagazine.com
Training Program Brings Advancement
Beginning his Marlin career six years ago as a tooling-fixture maker, Kendall Browning, now as a manufacturing technician, oversees two other employees. Describing himself as pretty well-rounded upon joining Marlin, Browning took advan- tage of the company’s training program to learn almost every piece of large equip- ment, including a laser cutter, punching machine and press brake, as well as robots.
“Over time, the company grew and I learned how to operate our new machines,” he says. “I have been able to advance here due to the training, and we have reachable pro-
duction incentives
because we all help
each other. The pro-
duction chart is
updated daily with
our progress so we
know where everyone
stands. We don’t let
people flounder. I
help out because in a
couple of weeks I
may need their help.”
Like Croniser, Browning appreciates Marlin’s family atmos- phere.
“Visitors and new
people comment
about our teamwork,”
he says. “Not just teamwork among a small group or cell, but throughout the whole company. That family atmosphere exists between the shop floor and front office, too. We have a lot of back and forth with our engineers. Maybe a designer wants to make a basket differently, or maybe a design doesn’t match how we like to build something on the floor, so we work together to iron that out. I interact with our designers and engineers on a daily basis.”
Browning also is a member of the safety committee, and is proud of Marlin’s safety record.
“If people on the floor notice a safety issue, they will communicate that concern and the committee will address that,” he says. “Or we can fix safety issues right away if needed.”
Would Browning recommend Marlin as a good place to work?
“If you want to be heard and to contribute, and don’t want to work in an abra- sive atmosphere, Marlin is a great place to work,” he explains. “The company takes care of us and provides a lot of opportunities.”
to full employment. In turn, he says, temporary and full-time employees communicate benefits of the bonus programs to friends who may devel- op interest in pursuing a Marlin career path.
Skills Matrix Drives Cross-Training
The company lunchroom is home to the Skills Matrix, a publicly posted snapshot of who can do what at Mar- lin. The chart proves the company’s training commitment, as cross- trained employees bring all-impor- tant flexibility to the job shop and skills improvement puts extra money in employees’ pockets. Marlin budg- ets 5 percent of employee labor costs for training, well above the industry average of 1.1 percent, according to the Precision Metalforming Associa- tion’s benchmarking survey.
“The Skills Matrix is a wonderful tool to encourage cross-training,” explains Greenblatt. “With the Skills Matrix program, we show, in a trans- parent way (via the posted chart), what skills we care about. The message to our staff: We care about these skills. Please learn them. If you learn them you will earn a pay increase. As a result, we have increased efficiency in a massive way over the years, and our employees are motivated and engaged.”
The Skills Matrix lists all possible job requirements, displayed horizon- tally on a spreadsheet, with every employee listed vertically along the top. The chart tracks what each employ- ee can do and to what level of profi- ciency. Employees can sign up for available training on a posted sheet. The matrix divides skills into direct- and indirect-labor classifications. Examples of direct-labor skills include bending, side-frame welding, Amada press-brake setup, Trumpf (operating) and Trumpf (program- ming). Indirect labor skills include quality inspection, fixture design and first responder, among others.
Training typically occurs inhouse after a shift, so trainees are paid over-
time, as are the inhouse instructors. The company also sends affected employees for outside training on new machinery and processes. Once employees receive training and demonstrate proficiency in new skills, they receive an hourly wage bump of 50 cents to $1, depending on the skill, according to Greenblatt.
“That can be a $2000/yr. raise for learning a new skill,” he says. “That wage increase is permanent, and paid whether they work in that new skill or not. Not only have they enhanced their lifestyle and their families’
lifestyles by being proactive in learning new skills, but they become indispen- sible to the company.”
Properly trained employees not only squeeze more out of equipment, but their skills help reduce scrap and improve productivity and part quality.
“Because of our emphasis on cross-training, we have improved efficiency,” says Greenblatt. “Our peo- ple are agile and can jump from machine to machine, so we are imper- vious to issues such as two laser oper- ators being out at the same time. As a job shop, we may be slow in one work