Page 40 - MetalForming February 2013

Workforce Development\Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC
MetalForming/February 2013 www.metalformingmagazine.com
Flexibility, Job Security
Give Confidence in the Company
Nathan Myers, senior robotics setup technician, has worked at Marlin for 12 years, often performing other jobs out- side of the robotics realm thanks to cross-training.
“I may be responsible for six machines on a daily basis, including setup, monitoring and quality, so I am just circling,” he says. “That makes the day go quicker. That is the nice thing about this job: It is not tedious.
As a section leader, Myers oversees two other employees, often assisting in cross- training the two to expand their skills.
“I try to be hands-off with training techniques,” he explains. “I think you learn more by doing it yourself, with guidance.”
Myers, who received a significant raise upon joining Marlin and has bene- fitted financially from its cross-training and production-goal programs, is happy working at the company, and would rec- ommend Marlin to others.
“At first, I was afraid that I would be chained to a machine with no flexibility,” he says. “But the more you learn here, the more independent you can be. It is up to individuals as to how much they want to learn and on how many machines they want to be trained. I have always had the opportunity for overtime, and can’t recall any layoffs during my years here. That gives me confidence in the company. I am glad to be at Marlin, and think that others would like it, too.”
“We want to keep incentives right in front of employees, and we want them to be paid for success in a time- ly manner,” he says.
In some cases, reaching goals means working overtime. The com- pany makes that easier for employ- ees, given a four-day, 10-hr. work week spread across two shifts.
“If we work overtime, it is on a Friday, so even then we still have the weekends to ourselves, which is a nice benefit,” says Croniser.
Benefits like that foster teamwork, according to company officials, and bring a can-do attitude.
“Teamwork and the sense of work- ing toward a common goal really comes through at Marlin,” says Levin. “People here consistently go above and beyond—developing good ideas, arriving early, staying late. It comes from the top. As president, Drew real- ly tries to foster that culture. Our pro- ductivity goals drive much of that, too. Bonus programs in place at some manufacturing companies, with a set amount paid at some distant point in time, do not have immedia- cy. Instead, those setups tend to bring complacency where the bonus is just expected as part of compensation.”
A sandbox attitude can be a pitfall in production goals for small teams, as team members may focus solely on their own goal to the detriment of the organization. That’s not the case at Marlin, says Levin.
“I have seen that in other envi- ronments but not here,” he says. “People at Marlin are not overly pro- tective of their sandboxes. Much of that has to do with the Marlin culture, which, again, is driven from the top. Drew is a great cheerleader for the company, continuously pointing out our successes in a public forum, and making people feel good about what they are doing and the contribution they are making to the organization. Even though we are incentivized within teams, I don’t think anyone here wants to let nonteam members down.”
Marlin’s production-goal program essentially fills the shop with a roster filled with entrepreneurs, according to Greenblatt.
“The program engages our employ- ees, giving all of us ‘skin in the game,’” he says. “Their motivations are in complete alignment with mine. They understand the company mission and are rewarded promptly for suc- cess. We developed a micro-system, mostly cell-driven, and some cells may contain only one person. That single person can control his own destiny, take action and innovate to be as productive as possible.”
Employees are
Fixed Assets at Marlin
“Many companies look at employ- ees as variable expenses,” says Green- blatt. “We look at our employees as fixed assets, and there is a massive philosophical difference. The peo-
ple at Marlin know that if the com- pany has a bad week or month regarding new orders, the people are protected—without worrying about layoffs. (During the last recession, the company’s flexibility not only allowed it to retain all employees, but actually increase sales, according to Greenblatt.) They can make steady rent and mortgage payments, pro- vide for their families and enjoy an improved lifestyle. We spend a lot of money to train our people, making them valuable to keep and allowing the company to succeed.
“With a multitude of skills, and compensation for learning new skills and meeting goals, employees are more likely to have longer tenure at Marlin,” Greenblatt adds. “As a result, the Marlin team is passionate about the company, and customers notice that we will go above and beyond to meet their needs.” MF