Thomas Hampton

As I began my employment with Brentwood as a machine operator, my high ambition, strong sense of urgency, attention to detail, problem solving/troubleshooting skills, and ability to learn at a rapid pace, I moved into the position of floor person after only 4 months.

• Responsible for job material and continuity of production
• Requires the ability to start and stop machines, change material out, do basic job changeovers, remove plastic jams, and assist Lead person and supervisor with tasks throughout the shift to help maintain and improve production.
• I must plan ahead for each machine (9 total) by memorizing and following our weekly production schedule on a daily basis to have materials ready for current/upcoming jobs.
• Pull job materials from an area on the floor where they are stored in a specific location, documenting each item individually on paper as well as in SyteLine, our computer database for raw materials, finished product, labor/machine hours, etc.
• in the event our lead person or supervisor is out, I may be required to record and report any and all downtime on each machine.
• Every machine is equipped with a ‘call light’ which is a light at the back of a machine that blinks. It is turned on by machine operators to indicate they are in need of assistance. It is my job to do so.
• For the first 3-4 months of time I’ve spent in this position we did not have a direct supervisor present and the lead person and I maintained our department successfully with minimal disruption to production.
• Giving breaks to machine operators when necessary, including breaking out machines to provide uninterrupted production
• In the absence of our lead person, I have been required to fill in for them. In those instances I must keep up with my assigned duties while also recording quality measurements for each machine’s specific product at least every two hours, developing a list of employees who are present each day at the beginning of each shift with their daily assignment based on a priority list of jobs/machines related to our production schedule, making sure each employee and machine is clocked in to their corresponding job number, check over paperwork after job or shift completion to ensure proper data entries were made and making corrections when necessary, and giving a brief safety meeting at the start of shift to highlight safety measures, and to notify/remind employees of any work related news or events.
• Any waste materials we create goes into waste baskets that are grinded down into shavings to be recycled at another facility. I am required to move full and empty baskets to a regrind area where they grind down full pieces of plastic into shavings that flow into metal bins. Once those bins are full, I exchange them with empty bins and weigh, document, and store said bins into a warehouse awaiting pickup.
• This position requires a lift truck certification to handle the heavy materials I am responsible for.
• I am also lockout/tag out trained so that I’m the event of a plastic jam or something similar I am capable of safely entering a machine to remove plastic, foreign objects, or make adjustments if necessary.
• Above all else, I must be a team player. Sharing one goals with all others to achieve success. Maintaining a positive attitude, working safe, and looking out for others along with a strong work ethic helps achieve that success.

• This job requires an enhanced focus, committment, and skill
• As production manager, roughly 200 employees look to you to help guide them to success and the success of the plant rides on our shoulders
• Responsible for three departments during my shift, each with 20-30 production employees, 1 supervisor, and 1 team lead per department
• Ensuring supervisors and team leads in each department are notified and prepared at the beginning of each shift for the production that is scheduled.
• Following behind supervisors/leads to ensure all documentation is recorded properly
• Following behind production to ensure quality is at its best, tracking our production rate, waste, and downtime throughout the shift to maintain efficiency and our weekly production schedule
• Direct communication with maintenance to follow downtime
• Finding ways to prevent and reduce downtime on our lines is also a key responsibility
• Notating any repairs or ways to enhance production or decrease waste, when applicable, to maintenance or production teams
• Actively involved during the presence of mechanical failure to prevent waste and maintain efficiency
• Keeping track of attendance to prepare for short-staffing and disciplinary actions, including terminations
• Scheduling PTO or other similar matters and communicating with other leadership to maintain organization
• Recording data throughout our shifts to provide complete and accurate shift reports
• Following behind supervisors to ensure training for new hires is done properly and recorded
• Communicating with managers/supervisors on other shifts relaying any information that will help improve production and/or prevent downtime/waste

• This position required very responsible behavior
• Showing up no later than 15 minutes early to your shift so you could have all materials and supplies stocked and ready for running production during the 8-10 hour shift
• This position requires you to have the ability to work as a team as well as maintaining situational awareness to avoid mistakes or injuries in a dangerous work environment
• Housekeeping as you work is an essential skill to have as well because it allows for safer work conditions and more efficient production
• For this position I used many handheld tools including but not limited to power, hydraulic, and pneumatic
• I also used an oxy acetylene torch and argon gas wire welders
• I had to be able to read specific build sheets for the steel joists we built
• These build sheets broke down exact measurements for steel materials used to construct the joists
• Troubleshooting, communication, teamwork, and awareness were undoubtedly the key attributes needed for this job along with punctuality, reliability, cleanliness, and a strong sense of urgency