Mark Mathias has been a set-up operator at Groov-Pin in Newnan, Georgia for 35 years. As part of the set-up process, he takes work orders, gets proper materials and reviews the set book, and sets up the machine to the correct work order.
His responsibilities also include changing dimensions like grooves and lengths and putting the proper material on the machine. Mark said the most challenging part of his job is completing repairs. “You have to fabricate almost all of the parts that are needed for repair. You can’t just get them off the shelves.”
Over the years, his job has changed with the introduction of new technology and lean manufacturing processes. “When we started, we were hand-making all of the tooling. Now, we have fixtures to put them in, so it’s quicker and more accurate,” he said.
Lean improvements have also enabled the team to shorten set-up time, which allows us to reduce lead times and get parts out in a timelier fashion. While implementing lean practices, the team identified areas where processes were taking longer than necessary and they came up with ways to shorten those processes. Other developments included improvements to tooling and easier repairs to machines.
Operators like Mark need to have technical skills like understanding how to read measurements correctly and use a grinder and a comparator to check parts. “Manufacturing is a highly-skilled job,” he said. “Paying attention to detail counts a lot.”
The collaborative environment at Groov-Pin is one of the reasons Mark enjoys being part of our team. “Our company is personable and good to employees,” he said. “They know who we are and appreciate what we do.”
Mark also sees manufacturing as an important industry to work in. “Manufacturing helps to improve people’s lives,” he said. “When we improve our product, we enable other companies to improve their products.”