Page 26 - MetalForming December 2011

Workforce Development\McGregor Metalworking
MetalForming/December 2011 www.metalformingmagazine.com
rather than move all of those parts across three locations, we decided to grow our welding expertise at Mor- gal and purchased welding equip- ment to take on that work. Then we identified a press operator who showed the skills and commitment to be a weld group leader and put him through training. We eventually built the entire weld department at Morgal from scratch, and today we produce that assembly here and ship it to the customer daily.”
That speaks to the power of train- ing, and McGregor has flexed its training muscle to further develop cellular manufacturing to serve that same fitness customer. Three welding systems at Morgal sit side by side, with a motor pan produced in one of the systems and rails in another. A manipulator moves the subassem- blies to the third welding system for final assembly.
Taking Skill-Building on the Road
Training at South Carolina Metal Products (SCMP) also has paid divi- dends, creating a new skilled work- force and providing big business for an automotive Tier One. In 2006, McGregor Metalworking opened a plant in Aiken, SC, located close to the customer but without a manu- facturing-skilled workforce from which to draw.
“The plant resides in what is pri- marily an equestrian-based commu- nity,” says Belden. “As a result we recruited inexperienced people and undertook a massive effort to train and retain a skilled workforce. The plant initially performed primarily welding, and recently has transitioned to stamping. At that point we needed an extensive knowledge of stamping in the pressroom on two shifts.
“We needed expertise at SCMP,” he continues, “because that Tier One is probably our most demanding cus- tomer from a quality standpoint.”
With stamping equipment still being installed, McGregor hired seven press operators and brought
them to Springfield for training. “These new employees spent every morning at one of our Spring- field plants and every afternoon in a
classroom,” recalls Sigman.
Variety of Operations Allows Successful Inhouse Promotion Company culture at McGregor
Metalworking supports promotion from within the ranks. Though some caution that filling slots from the inside prevents fresh eyes and fresh ideas, the diversity of McGregor Metalworking’s processes, coupled with multiple facilities, negate such concerns.
“There’s a view that by promoting from within all the time, you don’t receive an outside view of things,” says Belden. “We have an advantage because we are a conglomerate of five separate companies. We move associates from company to compa- ny on a regular basis, providing fresh sets of eyes.”
Also, as some McGregor Metal- working operations may experience downturns, other locations can pick up the slack and provide a new home for associates.
Long-Term Professional Growth
It boils down to this: McGregor Metalworking’s workforce develop- ment plans benefit the organization, and allow associates to pursue long- term professional growth.
“When we first developed Pay for Skills, workers could leave our business or any other business, walk down the street and find a new job that same day,” says Powell. “We were bringing in new employees, and current employ- ees were leaving, but we weren’t working to turn jobs into careers. Today, there isn’t a pool of people out there that have the knowledge and can just pick up and leave, and there aren’t the opportunities to sim- ply travel from one job to the next.
“When we find a potential employee with a bit of that knowl- edge and the willingness to succeed,” Powell continues, “Pay for Skills lets us train them for a long-term career. Think about it—where can you go today, and in a 4-yr. timeframe gain the monetary increases, build the foundation for a solid future, train on company time and have the oppor- tunity to get a college degree? Our Pay for Skills provides that.” MF
Not Just Another Job
In 1991, Scott Bageant, fresh out of high school and with only one job behind him, entered Morgal Tool & Die as a new employee. Now, with 20 years under his belt as a Morgal press operator/lead man, he’s a perfect exam- ple of McGregor Metalworking’s commitment to workforce development. One of the first Morgal Tool & Die employees to earn NIMS certification, Bageant completed the entire press operator Pay for Skills pathway and has a solid career to show for it.
“When I first came here, I didn’t consider this as a career,” he recalls. “I enjoyed the work and thought I was pretty good at it, so that’s why I stuck around.”
Training for Bageant initially consisted
mostly of videotapes to watch. In fact, he even
stars in some of the Precision Metalforming
Association’s pressroom-training videos. Bageant also has completed numerous worksheets, participated in hands-on training and had in-depth instruction on tasks he performs each day.
“An operator may not understand why something is done, but the training not only shows how but also gives the reasons why,” he says. “I also was cross- trained—not just in press operation but also in material handling, for example.”
(Photo by Brock Cox)