Brains Are Valued Resources
"Our brains are valued as a resource, or another tool in our tool box," says one Westminster employee who credits the freedom and encouragement to experience various company positions and the opportunity to train and continually learn with helping him excel at his job.
Alex Orphanos is a 24-year-old, full-time R&D engineer turned training coordinator at Westminster Tool. He has been with the company for a year and a half. He views the freedom and encouragement to experience different positions, as well as the opportunity to train and learn more as the greatest aspects of working at Westminster. His long-term goal is to work in the private space industry.
Alex was exposed to manufacturing through networking and then realized the value that manufacturing could bring to his engineering resume. "Working in manufacturing has helped me to become a better rounded engineer."
Alex started out at Westminster as an R&D Engineer and has recently transferred to training coordinator. He thnks this change will help him become a better engineer as it enables him to learn about the different phases of manufacturing while developing the training program.
Now let's meet Ronnie Fiero, a one-year apprentice machinist at Westminster.
Ronnie is a technical high school graduate whose past work experience includes the Town of Thompson Board of Education. He has his sights set on being a mechanical engineering technician at Westminster in five years. Ronnie sees his co-workers as the greatest aspect of working at Westminster. "They are always willing to help me or teach me something new."
When it comes to how he chose manufacturing, Ronnie says, "This industry appealed to me in the beginning of high school and I chose manufacturing as my trade and have continued to enjoy it ever since. With my internship at the shop, it moved me throughout different areas of work. While helping different employees I learned the essentials to molding components and what it takes to be a moldmaker."
