Hynes Outlines What It Takes to Work in Manufacturing
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The path to a manufacturing career isn’t always the same for each person – but leadership at Hynes Industries say that the qualities that make for a good manufacturing employee are pretty standard.
During a Brain Gain Navigators webinar Wednesday, Hynes President and CEO Rick Organ and Jeremy Gurski, plant manager, shared their journeys to manufacturing and what they look for in an employee. The virtual career exploration event drew some 300 registered students and mentors from regional schools and organizations.
Attitude, aptitude and attendance are the three key qualities that Hynes looks for in an employee, they explained. For most employees, practical skills used on the job floor are typically taught by the company. But a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and dependability are traits that need to be inherent, they said.
“The attitude is like speed in an athlete,” Organ said. “If you’ve got speed, we can teach you the rest. And aptitude, if you’re willing to learn and you’re willing to let other people teach you and be patient … and you’re dependable. The soft skills – those are critically important to us. We can teach you all the rest.”
Organ started his career as a consultant and always had the desire to get into operations and production, he said. The variety in the daily routine and the satisfaction in doing something that is mentally and physically challenging attracted him to manufacturing. A Boardman native, Organ left the area for work and returned about five years ago to takeover Hynes.
Gurski, came into manufacturing to work his way through college, where he was studying elementary education and aspired to be a teacher, he said. But after getting a taste for manufacturing and working in all aspects of production, he decided to stick with it.
“I was good at it,” Gurski said. “I was more hands-on. Wasn’t real good in a classroom setting. Just being out there working I can be productive; I could excel. I really, really think I got a satisfaction out of it.”
Gurski and Organ answered questions from participants, touching on the benefits of pursuing a career in manufacturing, the skills and traits that make someone successful in the field, what school subjects are important later down the road, and what students can do now to prepare for a potential future in manufacturing, such as working a part-time job or helping around the house to get used to taking on responsibility.
Read more about the event and feedback from students who participated in the May 2021 edition of The Business Journal. And be sure to watch and share the forthcoming videos of the tour and the live event with Hynes Industries on the Brain Gain Navigators web page.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
