Women in Manufacturing - Caltronics’ Production Supervisor - Angie

In this fourth installment of our monthlong series on women in the manufacturing industry, and the last one we’re able to squeeze into the actual month we’re going to meet Angie who leads supervises all our production lines. From Electrical and Electromechanical assembly, to SMT and Inventory, Angie’s position requires that she demonstrate a tremendous attention to detail, knowledge of the company’s capacity, and foresight when scheduling. Angie has proven to have these qualities and the additional personal set that allows a leader to be approachable to supervisees while still maintaining the professionalism required to be effective. Read on to dive briefly into her story as a woman in the industry.

How long have you been in your current position?

I have worked at Caltronics for many years, but I’ve been our Production Supervisor for 6 of them.

What was your work experience prior to this position?

I started with Caltronics as an executive assistant and moved to HR/Payroll before stepping into my current role. Before Caltronics I was in supervisor roles across various industries, ranging from a parts manager at a truck accessory store, to a manager at retail and convenience stores, and finally a manager of 60 rental properties for 13 years.

In what ways have you improved the line (or area) you’re responsible for?

I’ve focused on measurable results with all my continuous improvement initiatives. As I stepped into the production supervisor role I noticed that even where there was follow through previously, the leg work often hadn’t been done on the front end to record where we were at before the improvement so we couldn’t see the full impact of the efforts that were taken. So as I continued the efforts to improve efficiencies across the production floor I started by creating metrics that could give us a clear picture, and then performed the improvement idea. This has left us with a markedly clearer image of the ROI on projects, and helped us maintain the progress rather than completing the process change and just assuming it has actually improved efficiencies or quality. I also know that the work people put out is correlated to how well they feel in the workplace, so I try keep a culture of teamwork and openness going as well. I’d like to think that this culture in the workplace is one of the reasons we hit 99% on-time delivery last year!

What has been your biggest takeaway from being a leader in the workplace? What do you feel you have gotten out of it?

You need to lead by example, be willing to put in the work and the time that you expect everyone else to do. No job is too small, so if I need to step in and help out I will. Whether its cleaning a toilet or packing an order, if a department needs help, I will. You also need to be able to take and give productive criticism. Be open to all perspectives and learn to grow with them.

From our Trailblazers to Yours

Caltronics is lucky to have Angie blazing a trail as our Production Supervisor and we can’t wait for her and the rest of the team to help you with your next project as you blaze your own trail. To get started, contact us for a quote today. You can catch up on our team in our last three posts by using the button below, and be on the lookout for our final post in the series next Friday as we get to know our President!