Ep. 37 | 'Made in Richmond' with Brian Hewitt of Quanex on The Hub with Michael Allen

Brian Hewitt, Production Manager at Quanex in Richmond, Indiana, joins host Michael Allen on The Hub to explore the work behind products most people step over every day. A door threshold might seem like a small detail, but keeping out water, sealing an entryway, and helping secure a home takes careful manufacturing and a team that understands why those details matter.

Brian shares what the Richmond plant produces, including entry thresholds, astragals for French doors, and a newer line of Marvin screen doors available in dozens of colors and oversized dimensions. He explains the coordination behind daily production, from sourcing materials and managing multiple warehouses to shipping finished products and maintaining quality while competing with imported, preassembled alternatives.

The conversation also explores how automation is changing the factory floor. Brian discusses robots and machines that use barcodes to guide production, explaining why greater efficiency does not have to mean fewer opportunities for employees. Training, maintenance, programming, and a strong safety culture all play a role in helping people grow as the work changes.

Michael and Brian also discuss what makes a dependable employee and an effective leader. Attendance, effort, and timeliness matter, along with listening to the people doing the work and involving them in solving problems. Together, they offer a practical look at manufacturing, workforce development, and the people helping build Eastern Indiana’s business community.

The Hub with Michael Allen is sponsored by Manpower Eastern Indiana.

Follow the show, share this conversation with someone interested in local manufacturing, and leave a rating or review to help more people discover The Hub.

Learn more about The Hub and explore all episodes at:
https://www.mpeasternindiana.com/the-hub-podcast 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Welcome To The Hub Podcast

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Behind every growing business is a team of great people. This is the Hub Podcast sponsored by Manpower Eastern Indiana. I'm your host, Michael Allen. In each episode, we connect with the people helping build stronger companies and communities across Eastern Indiana. So welcome back to the hub. I'm Michael Allen, and the hub is where we uh we talk with people who are uh making a difference in our community, uh in business and in the lives of the people around them. And today I'm joined by Brian Hewitt, the production manager at Quanix here in Richmond. Good morning, Brian. Good morning, Mike. How are you? Good, good. Thanks for coming. Um, excited about talking about Quanix today. Um uh you know, Quantix is a is an important part of our manufacturing community. Uh the company's been around for a long time. And uh Brian here, he has a unique uh uh perspective, not only in production uh and manufacturing, but also uh with the people who make it happen at Quanix.

Brian Hewitt Path Into Manufacturing

SPEAKER_01 1:06

And uh so Brian, again, thank you for joining us. Uh before we talk about Quantix, tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Okay. Well, I'm I uh straight out of high school, I went in the military. I uh thank you for your service. I appreciate that. Uh went in for four years, came out, and worked full time, went to school full time, and then just by happen chance, I got an interview at Quanex as an engineer, and then back in 2003 and started there, and then my career at Quanix began.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

All right. So it's been a it's been a while. Yes, over two decades there. Yes. So was uh we always like to ask people because um me working at manpower and in an employment uh business and staffing. Um so the military was a job, a career. You would have been 18, probably. So what what was your first job that you ever have? Do you remember what that was?

SPEAKER_00 2:03

I worked at Marsh's supermarket in um Eaton, Ohio. That's no longer there. Okay. That's that was my very first job bagging groceries. Bagging groceries. So what do you remember what you made back then? Uh 325 an hour. 325 an hour. Yes. Yeah. So did you like doing it? I mean, oh, it was easy.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

I mean, no, no stress, no pressure, just uh bag groceries, take them out for the elderly folk and load them in the cars and then probably then you used to there was probably a little more customer service involved and taking things. I remember, you know, as a kid, you know, going to the grocery store and and uh the the the guys normally guys back then were you know that were bagging up the groceries would take them out to your car, put them in the trunk or the backseat for you. It was nice. And did you ever get any tips for I did actually a couple times?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Yeah, yeah. But it's different now. You gotta bag your own groceries and and scan. Yeah, a lot of it's that way.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

I mean, there's some bagging, but I mean, I would I would guess, I mean, that's interesting how technology changes or how the industry's changed that uh I would guess the majority of people that do shopping bag their own stuff. Yes. And put it in and carry it out. So uh so did you did you think coming out of the military, did you think you would get into manufacturing? I mean, you said you got into engineering, so was that kind of a a field of of choice for you that you pursued?

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah, I um worked at Parker Hannifin for about 10 years after the military. All right. And uh ran screw machines, C and C's, and then I kind of got into the drawing aspect of it, designing.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

And it interested me. So as I was working at Parker Hanafin, I went to school full time at Ivy Tech.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Okay. So were you at the Eaton or Lewisburg location? Uh both. Okay. Did both been at 10 years. So people know Parker, they make fluid connectors. That was the prime that's I think that today that's their so their primary hydraulic fitting. And were they were they doing were those primarily for heavy equipment type at that time? Like Caterpillar, John Deere, John Deere. And I guess now another I didn't realize this, because we have some people working at Parker. Uh now those are used in data centers. Really? Yes. So that's a new market for them is with the with the build out of these data centers, the the cooling, the cooling in those. So I had no idea. And uh, but it's kind of cool, you know, that they've they've uh got another uh niche in their industry, so it's good for them. Yes.

What Quanex Makes In Richmond

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Um as far as um Quanix goes, tell us a little bit, because I not everyone probably knows what they do, so just kind of give us a little overview about about what about the company and then also what we do locally here in Richmond. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:01

So Quanix is a big corporation. We have over uh a hundred locations between the US, uh, Europe. Um we mostly in the building industry, screen windows, uh sliding screen doors. Uh the Richmond facility here does entry thresholds to uh residential homes. We do astrals for French doors, and and a new market we started about uh three or four years ago was um Marvin screen doors. They're high-end screen doors for Marvin door.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

So tell us a little bit about because I don't think even people even know the word asterical. Okay. No, you know, so it's something that people see every day, but they probably don't even know what that is, what it's called. So tell just tell us a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

So the AsteraCal is the metal, I'll just call it a part that's uh attached to the fixed door on the double door to a residential home. And that's what locks the inactive door. And then if you ever need to open up both doors, you pull the locks uh from the top and bottom, and you're able to open both doors. That astral actually is a security feature for the inactive door on a double door for a residential home.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

And then uh thresholds that that plate that you step on as you walk in through the doorway, every house has them.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Every house, garage, uh even some sheds now.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

So yeah, I'm sure. So uh how many people are involved in the Richmond operation?

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Richmond, right now we currently have uh 65 hourly employees and about eight salary employees. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

And uh kind of for for you when you go in, what's kind of like a typical day for you? Okay, or is there such a thing?

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Not not lately. So I get I go in to work about six, six fifteen, and then um I go in, and first thing I do is check my emails, the phone messages, see you know if anybody's called in. And then uh I go right to the floor and and talk to the leads on each line, make sure everybody's got what they need, everybody's uh running production. I go to shipping department, making sure everything's set up correctly for the day. Uh receiving, I'm in charge of receiving. So we got two different warehouses here in Richmond. We've got one down the street from the 451 Industrial Parkway at 511 Industrial Parkway, and we also rent the old Spartec building.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Uh behind Red Lobster there.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Yeah, I I didn't uh realize that. I mean, that that building's just kind of tucked down there. So I didn't realize it was actually being used, so I'm glad it's being utilized. Yeah. So uh I remember being in there years ago when they were you know running plastic sheet, I think is what they did at one time. Uh so uh when you go in, what what's kind of a good production day for for you all when you're running each day? I mean, what the what it what would you consider a good production day?

SPEAKER_00 7:57

A good production day is a day where we can actually run and there's no maintenance issues, uh no personnel issues, which is just a a smooth, easy going day. Um they don't happen very often. You know, with technology, we're we're getting in automation now, so we're

Thresholds Then And Now

SPEAKER_00 8:15

um trying to figure that out. It's been a little difficult step for us, but we're we're moving in that direction. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Well, we we talked about uh we were just chatting a little bit before we started this, and uh, you know, um I was really excited about talking to you because I had worked at Quandex uh back uh in uh 1982. I I graduated high school, I was only 17, and um I wasn't able to go to college right away, just the time and everything, just didn't have the resources to do that. So I turned 18 and my dad sent me over to Imperi it was in Imperial products. Yes. And uh and I already knew a little bit about Imperial because the owner, I think he kind of founded the company, yes, uh Ray Imperial, when I was about 14. I used to cut his grass. And uh just I I really liked Ray. Uh you probably don't know him, but I did not. But uh super nice, always uh kind, just a kind of flamboyant personality. I always wore like gold chains on uh and uh around his neck and on his wrist, and he liked Cadillacs. And I remember just like yesterday, he he had got a new Cadillac, and that's when those automatic starters were just coming. Okay, and nobody but nobody had them. And he goes, I was moaning Jardie, he goes, Michael, Michael, come here, come here, stand right here. I go, okay, had me stand by the car. He went in his house and he started his car. And he just got the biggest kick out of that. He just thought that was the coolest thing in the world. They could start that car remotely. But uh yeah, he he was quite a guy, and uh, and uh, but uh I enjoyed working there. Now I did a lot of different jobs there. Uh and uh now you can you talked about technology, how things change. Now, one of the first jobs I had what we called back then was base plating.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

Yes, we still do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Okay, so tell us what base plating is.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Okay, so base plating is where you take a piece of aluminum and a piece of base, which is these we call it, goes underneath the aluminum. Uh-huh. Uh it's either wood or a like a PVC composite or a deck board. Okay. And then we put those two together and we staple it to hold it together, and then that forms the biggest part of the threshold. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

So back when I did it, we used to have these big tubs of glue, and they we had it was we pull glue out of that tub and it would go shoot through a gun, and we'd we'd run a bead of glue, and I'd pop that piece of wood in there, flip it over, and then hit it with two uh I think two or three staples, whatever, and then moved it, you know, down the line. I'd just do that all day long. And uh it really uh get your elbow at the end of a day. Oh, I can imagine. And but it's interesting, and we talk about technology. I mean, those are really heavy things. And now that I've been in there, it's been a while lately, but I mean, you have things that are hanging. Yes. I mean, the ergonomics is what it is. Ergonomics has changed quite a bit from probably when I did it in 1982. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Yeah, everything's pretty much automated. You don't hold an actual staple gun anymore. Everything you just push two buttons.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Um, and it fires all four staples at the same time now.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

So and then it just you push it and then on the thresholds, because the thresholds the main thing you make. Yes. So on it's an adjustable rail.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Or fixed, yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

We have both. Okay. So tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Okay, so the adjustable rail will have screws where you can adjust the rail to uh seal against the bottom of the door. Yeah. And then a fixed rail will be like an out a door that swings out.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

So it'll actually butt up against a piece of weather strip.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

All right.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

And then uh, so I'd say that's probably about 20% of our threshold that we make are fixed, and then the other 80% are adjustable.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

So I again I'd have a screw uh like a drill or uh screw gun or whatever, and and we'd put those those rails on there. Yes. And then there was a piece of weather stripping against it went against one end of it. Yes. I'm I'm maybe losing the the process, but that was like a piece, and back then we used to have like a rubber mallet and we'd pan, we'd pound those into the into the little little strip where it fitted. Yes you know, we'd get that mallet, and then there was a uh wooden nose on the other side of it, and you would staple that onto there too.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

So it's it's changed a lot since then. So now we we have a patented product that we don't even pound anything on anymore. We have a little seal that slips into the rail, okay, and then it seals over top of the aluminum and doesn't allow water to go through.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

So, and actually it's all done by machine now. So we put the adjustable rail on, we send it through a machine that actually puts a bead of glue on the backside for that nosing. Uh-huh. And then we um have a little wheel that goes over top of the threshold that just pushes that seal on now.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

The the job that I did that I I could not stand doing was it we used to call it a tapper. Yeah. So it would the holes that that rail goes in, it would tap those holes so you could screw the and I mean we're talking a long time ago, Brian, but I mean, those tap ends, they would break off all the time. And I remember once this my uh the production manager or whatever his name was um Ralph Simpson, I think. Yes. He I had to go in his office and I they were kind of expensive. And I I like broke three of them off on one threshold. And I went in there and and uh he was pretty frustrated with me. And uh so uh he took me off of it and put me like down the line the next and he put some other guy on there that he thought was a little bit better than me. Yes. And that guy, I think, ran just a couple, and then he broke all four of them the next time, and I was so happy that guy I felt a little bit of justification in it. Yes. I had to chuckle. I mean, it wasn't not a good thing, but I had to chuckle a little bit because I felt vindicated a little bit. Yes. So how's those how are those holes done now?

SPEAKER_00 14:33

So they're done the same way. We still have the tapper heads, okay, but they're push button. Uh actually our short cell line is that we have a robot in that position that actually pulls the part over, pushes it back, and and when it gets pushed back, it taps itself and then pushes it to the next person. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

I th one other thing that you guys did there, and I'm sure it's there's something similar, but was a finished saw. I didn't want any part of that job. No, no, that's all automated now. Yeah, because it's just that's it was just kind of a hard job. It is a hard job. There was a guy that worked back then, his name was George Hunter. Hunter. And man, he he did that all day long. He he just would just a machine on that thing. He would just go at it. He didn't mind it at all, but he was he was uh uh pretty good worker. Um so uh anything else about the products or that you make or differences in the in the facility these things?

SPEAKER_00 15:28

So we have yes, so we have the Marvin door line, which I was telling you about. We make the screen doors now. So we have thirty five different colors of these doors, and we do anything from 68 inches all the way up to 112 inches tall. Wow. And these things are monsters. And um so and they pick up weekly, so that's part of our new business. We um source a lot from overseas the product to build our product now. Well, we used you know, we used to do a lot of domestic buy, but that's kind of how the business changes now.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

So um are you talking about the actual screen?

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Well, no, I'm talking like even for the thresholds, like we buy uh some of the uh substrates that we staple the aluminum to come from overseas. So um and we do we have seven different production lines. We have the Marvin screen door line, we have the short cell, which is our main business. We do uh residential thresholds that are 37 inches and under. We do about uh five or six thousand of those a day. Wow. Anything longer than thirty-seven inches we do on a patio line, and those are go anywhere from 42 inches all the way up to 150 inches long. And those we do about 2,400 a day.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

And then on the fixed line, of course, I told you about uh we do about a thousand a day on those.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

So yeah, that's that's a lot more than what we made back when I worked there. But yeah, that that's a lot. I mean, that's amazing to think that you're making that many a day and there's enough places to put all that.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

It's amazing. I I because easily three or four million a year. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

The um and I suspect that Quanix isn't the only company that makes thresholds. Is is that a pretty competitive market? Or I mean, or do you guys have a pretty good position in the market?

SPEAKER_00 17:28

Uh the hardest part for us is people that import that product already assembled from overseas. It's hard for us to compete, but that's why we're moving into the automation a little bit to help cut costs.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Yeah, tell us tell us a little bit about the technology changes, things that you're working on.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

Yes. So uh just in the last four or five years, like I said, uh the tapper that you used to do by hand is now automated. We have a little robot that pushes the part in, taps it, and pushes to the next person. We used to have a spot on the patio assembly line where you drill holes in the threshold for like uh a side light. We got the two little 14-inch side lights on the um side of your door. Okay. Yeah. So we drill holes so they can attach those to them. We used to do that all manually, and now we've got a machine in there that we just scan a bar code and it sets up and does it by itself now. And then um we also have on the fixed line, we got a we used to have two inline notchers that we used to stack parts up, run through one machine, stack them up again, run them through another machine. Now we've got an automated machine in there. It just flows into that machine, notches it, and spits it out the other side.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Well, it's definitely been a lot of you know, technology is gonna continue to be a part of our world, and it's not necessarily a bad thing, um, but uh, and all that equipment, technology is great, but still you need good people

Building A People First Plant Culture

SPEAKER_01 19:00

working for you. And um on your website, uh on Quanix's website, you can go to Richmond and you guys, I don't know when you when that video was done, but it's a really great video of the Richmond facility. Yes. And uh, and what I really liked about it's really well done. And what I liked about it, it really focused on your people. And if you watch that video, um, I think you walk away uh from that thinking, this is a company that really cares about their people. Yes. And uh so you just want maybe talk about that a little bit better?

SPEAKER_00 19:33

We um well, we've got actually people that are still working there. Uh Ronnie Hittle. I remember the Hiddles. It was two twins, right? Yes, Ronnie and Donnie, and both of them are still working there. Ronnie's been there, I believe, over 40 years now. Wow. So and most of our tenured people are ten years or more. So um it's a great place to work. We're all pretty much like family. I mean, it's small enough to talk to everybody every day. So I'm pretty sure the Hiddle started through manpower. Yes, they did back in the day. They did. Yeah. Um, and all three of them still work there, Chris, uh, Donnie, and Ronnie. And then um, you know, I I think to keep in touch with people, you gotta talk to them, make them feel at home. So that's that's my biggest thing that I try to do every day is talk to every single person.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

And just let them know that you're noticed.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

I mean, it's um just that goes a long way, I think. Yeah, well, just sitting down with you. I can tell that you're a person that they they would really like and and enjoy working with you. So I can definitely see that just in our time sitting here. Uh what are some of the qualities, you know, when I mean you're still bringing in people. So in your mind, after you know, a couple decades there, what's kind of the what are you looking for in people that come in the door today?

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Today we just look for somebody that comes in and and puts forth an effort. You know, they don't have to be the fastest, they don't have to uh wow everybody the first day, but if they come in and try hard, that that goes a long way with me.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

So they don't have to I mean someone can walk through the door and have little or no manufacturing experience. Is that true? But it's just trying to find the qualities that make them a reliable hardware.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

That's that's what we look for. Somebody's gonna show up every day and and put a good 10 hours in, and I'm I'm happy with that.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Um from your perspective as a manager, it's kind of an interesting question, I think. It's my question. But I mean from your perspective as a manager, what do employees sometimes misunderstand about management?

Safety Expectations And How Meetings Work

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Uh that we don't listen to them. That's that's the hardest thing. Umx is huge on safety. So safety is the very first thing. We reach. If it's not safe, don't do it. Uh-huh. So, you know, and and people are like, well, you're making us do this the long way. There's a shorter way to do it, but it's not the safe way to do it. Yeah. So I think that that irritates them sometimes, but but it's not about their safety. It's not about anything else. Right. And that and and that's all we care about. You know, we want everybody to go home at night to their families and come back the next day and do it all over again.

unknown 22:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

That's I would say one of the outside of technology changes, that's to me one of the biggest things I've seen within manufacturing, because I've been well, I've been around it for you know over 40 years myself, one shape or the other. And I think there's been huge advances and concerns about employee safety. Yes. I think companies understand how important it is just to protect their people, but it's it's also a financial advantage to make sure that people aren't getting hurt. Yes. You know, so I I see that as a major area where employers have really put a lot of intention, like like Quantix has, into the safety part of people's everyday coming into work.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Yes. So we've actually just celebrated um I think it was five years of no accidents at our plant. Congratulations. That's awesome. Yeah. And you know, we celebrate that every every year we do it. Yeah. We're rigging Radfords and cook steaks and have a big old meal and celebrate it. It's something to be able to do.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Well, next time you celebrate, ask me over. I can I like a good steak. They're very good. So on the flip side of that question I asked you a second ago, so what do you think managers sometimes misunderstand about employees? Because you've been on both sides, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Um I think that wow, that's a tough one. Uh I think sometimes it's we take some of their complaining as complaining, and sometimes it's a real issue. I think I think sometimes you just gotta dive into it and then take take it for what it is, and it's just suggest you not complaining.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

So what kind of do you have many like I'm sure you have safety meetings or different do you or I mean are are there you have a small group. Yes. So now you do work two shifts, but do you typically have or meetings every now and then where you guys discuss stuff or what we have a meeting at uh 8 30 where we discuss uh the production boards as part of our lien system.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Uh-huh. We um so we track production with red and green hours. So every day, every day at 8 30, we discuss the prior day's production. If we have red hours, we uh discuss why we had a red hour. So if it's a safety reason, uh say machine broke or a guard broke, it was down for half an hour, we lost half an hour of production. Yeah. So then we discuss, well, how do we fix that so it doesn't happen again? And then um every Thursday we have a safety meeting. We go over uh all the safety alerts that go all the way through Quanix. That's every plant. And then once a month we actually meet with every plant in Quanix. We have a safety call that is an hour and a half long, and that's every plant, you know, Mexico, Europe, all of them are on this call once a month. So safety is huge.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

Are you on that call yourself?

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Yes, myself, the plant manager, and the engineering manager.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

All right, okay. Um kind of from a leadership, you talked about those leaders. Um I think you enjoy your job. I can kind of get a sense that you really you really enjoy your career and what you do there. But what's kind of like the hardest part of your job that you when you, you know, day and day out? Is there a thing that's the most challenging to you? I mean maybe that's too personal, but I just No, it's I think for me it's just um try not to get complacent.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Uh-huh. That's the hardest part. Because some days I'm doing the same things over and over again, and and I just don't want to be complacent. I want right. I want Quantix to be successful, and that's I put that on my shoulder.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

So well, I appreciate that answer because I I'm kind of feel like I'm in the same boat. You know, I've been at Manpower for 36 years, and and uh sometimes you been in a place you feel like you've done it all, seen it all, whatever. But I, you know, I like you, I I'm I I want to try to be forward thinking and think of new ways of not just it's always been this way, so we're gonna do it that way. And and uh so I like that. And I and I really enjoy um having diversity within our work, just even our office. I think there's uh from our youngest staff member to our oldest, there's 50 years. Wow. And uh so I love working with young people or people that are my age or older than me. And I think it's it's great that it if it doesn't always work out that way, but it's great when you have that because you get to kind of see all sides of it. And uh sometimes I think our younger people are kind of get a bad rap today. Because I think there's a lot of really uh hardworking young people that come in and and and they want a career and they want to work hard and they want to learn and they want to contribute. And uh so I I I like that.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

I do too. Yeah. So that's that's like I said, when they come in and they put forth an effort, that that shows me a lot.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

So in the meetings that you have, you talk about, you know, machine was down and production, you missed production. So I mean, how I think there's probably we talked about it's it's a lot of competition in the market. So um what do you kind of do to help motivate people to stay on task and keep things going? I mean, how do you are you involved in that personally? Yeah, or is that yes, so kind of what's your how do you go about that?

SPEAKER_00 28:24

So first thing I do is I I I we talk about the issue. Uh-huh. If it's something I can go look at and watch myself, and then I work with that team to fix the issue. You got to make them part of the part of the fix or they won't buy into it. So I'm not saying I'm gonna fix it for them, but uh, you know, if we all come together and I think we all look at it as a team, we can fix it. Uh-huh. And I think it them being involved gives them some ownership in that.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Um I wasn't sure if I was gonna ask you this question, but I think you know, from our conversation I'm going to. So at in your job, what do you think has been like a a mistake that you made, but you really learned a lot from that? Can you think of something that

Lessons Learned From A Vendor Mistake

SPEAKER_01 29:15

ever happened once like that?

SPEAKER_00 29:17

Yes. Yeah. So we um had a new vendor. This is when I was in purchasing for for Quanix, and um I learned a valuable lesson here. So we we were running out of product. So I had this new vendor, and and me and the engineer, we approved it. He approved it, but we didn't get it approval from the customer.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

So we went ahead and started using it, and then um they weren't very happy about it. And it and it it didn't cost us the relationship, but it did cost us, you know, some time. So I think uh my lesson from that is do my due diligence and make sure everything is the I's are are the hot and the T's are crossed before I do something. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Well, yeah, I definitely I do think we learn a lot from the mistakes that we make, and uh I've definitely had my share of them. And I think with you know, at stage of my life, I try to continue to think about learning from those things. Yeah. And they're not always bad. You know, we're not perfect, but you know, the you know, it's it's how you deal with those situations, and you can definitely come out on a stronger side of those things. Um had some questions. I've I think we may have had them about just technology changes. Um that always about technology that gets people a little bit, you know, kind of worried or scared is about am I gonna lose my job over

Automation Without Cutting Jobs

SPEAKER_01 30:55

this. So uh how would you answer that? Somebody says, Well, you're bringing all this stuff in here and I'm not even gonna have a job anymore.

SPEAKER_00 31:03

You know, you know, we we've had those discussions and and what we do is we we find them something else to do. There's other jobs that you know that are open that that need filled. We're just this line needs to run more efficiently. Right. And um I think that we've never all the technology we've added, we've not you know, we still have the same amount of people.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

So well, if you're using more technology, or there has to be more demand for people taking, you know, uh maintenance and and keeping that technology running smoothly. So there's an opportunity for someone I would think the up the upskill to um to be challenged in a different way than they were if they were just you know putting a part into the machine. Now maybe they're they're doing they're working with that technology to keep it running more smoothly. Yeah, if they but it takes additional training. I guess I'd call it upskilling or whatever. But I mean, how is there any training that goes on uh at your local facility, or is there opportunities for people to um to get more education? Oh, yes, yeah. Yeah, I don't know if there's any.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Yeah, they have the tuition reimbursement and all that.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Do people take advantage of it?

SPEAKER_00 32:23

Some. Uh some of the you know, some of the office uh the engineering takes extra classes, like for this these new machines, the programming, uh, the maintenance guys, we had them go to a programming class. Um but yeah, there's always that option there.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Uh there's a perception, I think, a little bit amongst young younger people that manufacturing and and there's some of it at Quantix. It's just uh you're just standing all day just mindlessly doing something, but I don't think that's really an accurate picture. I mean, what's what's your thoughts about that? I mean, or it's not a good, you know, uh challenging career or or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

No, but it's a stepping stone. That's the way I look at it. So I personally, when I first started there, I was in engineering. So I took myself out on the floor and I learned everything I could about all the product, all the machines, all the production lines. And then from there I grew into a different role, which is purchasing. And and these guys can do the same thing. There's always that you can go from a assembly worker to a saw operator to a rail operator, and you know, these are steps up and into a forklift driver. Yeah. So there's plenty of opportunity to grow. You just gotta put forth the effort.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

Do you guys it made me think of something? That's a good answer. Uh, do you guys still have like a box truck that you take and move stuff around?

SPEAKER_00 33:51

Yes. So we actually have two. Okay. Two box trucks now. So because we have to two different warehouses. So um we one of our facilities is just a warehouse where we pull product and bring it down to the assembly warehouse or to the assembly location. And then we also have another location of just we pull parts from it and bring it to this both basically pull from both locations to go to the one.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

So the reason why I bring that up is you had to have some type of a special chauffeur's license or something, at least back in the 80s. It wasn't your regular just license. So I went, so I thought it'd be cool to drive one of those trucks. So I went and got the license. So I went to Ralph and I said, Hey, I got my license now. If you ever need me to take a delivery across town or something, just let me know. Oh, okay. So I think whoever was, they didn't have somebody to do it one day. So they loaded up this truck and had me take something across. I don't know where I took it, I can't remember. And I mean, I knew how to drive, but I did not know how to properly back up. I wasn't driving a semi, but still as a boxer, you can't see. No. And so it was, I had a heck of a time just getting over there, backing that thing up against the dock. And I never asked him to do that ever again. I thought I'm gonna, I'm gonna wreck this thing or I'm gonna whatever. But I mean, now companies today, I mean there's so much training involved in different things, but I just remember being so excited about doing that, but I didn't know anything about what I was doing.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

No. I I actually I enjoy driving the truck every once in a while. I actually get in it and sometimes and I'll I'll just go load something up and bring it back just to do it.

SPEAKER_01 35:34

So is there anything uh about Clon X that would be good for people to know about your company that that we haven't talked about yet?

SPEAKER_00 35:44

Yeah, I I think that we're constantly growing. And and I mean, when I started there, we were a $18 million company, and today we're a $42 million company. So and we've been strong, sales are strong now. Uh and like I said, most of the people that work there have been there a long time and and made careers of it. So that's great.

Community Support Career Advice And Wrap

SPEAKER_01 36:08

And I I mean the companies involved in the community. Yes. And uh you want to share some of the things that you can do.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

Yeah, so uh every year we donate to Toys for Tots. We uh donate to the Boys and Girls Club every year.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Is that the backpack or what what is what do you guys do at the Boys and Girls Club? I forgot because I'm on the board there, but I and Quanex name comes up every year, but I'm just I'm I'm just at a loss of what you're donate money. Okay, all right.

SPEAKER_00 36:34

So we get uh asked for it's been different amounts every year, but we will take a check over and just give it to them and drop it off and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

No, I know they appreciate it because it because you guys come up every year. So whenever that happens, it's uh discussed in our board meetings. And uh anything else about is there anything about the company that people would be surprised if they didn't know about?

SPEAKER_00 37:03

I everybody's surprised when you tell them how many we make a year. That's yeah, well, it surprised me early in this conversation. Yeah, it's it's because I don't know where they go either.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

So yeah, yeah. Just a couple of fun things while we wrap up. Okay. So uh what's the best career advice you ever got from somebody?

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Best career advice.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

Never stop trying to move forward. Yeah. Who's uh who's the best boss you ever had that you remember over the years? You're gonna say Ed.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Well, he's he's good. Yeah. I know Ed for many years.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

Yeah, Ed Claypool we're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

And then um when I first got into purchasing, um, my boss was Steve Gonyer. He's retired now, but he taught me a lot about the manufacturing world that you know I didn't know. He was a good um teacher.

unknown 37:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

Uh one quality every good employee should have timeliness. Being on time. That's one of the biggest reasons why people lose their jobs to manpower. Attendance honestly is attendance. I we talk about it all the time. And then those companies say, Well, didn't you tell these people the best? I mean, that's we we go over it so much, but it's a problem. Yes, it's a problem, and I wish we had an answer to it, but so I think that's that's our hours are a little different than most people's in Richmond.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

So we work four to ten hour shifts. We work uh 5 a.m. in the morning till 3 30 p.m. And for the younger generation, 5 a.m. is really early. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

So well, I would love those hours because I get up about 4 30 every day. So it and then they get, you know, that I guess that's a plus for your company is that unless you do Friday for overtime, you got four, 10-hour days and you're good to go. Yeah, three-day weekend. Every weekend, yes. Yeah, that's uh probably a good reason if you're out there looking for a job, or you might want to go to Quantix if you like those kind of hours and maybe get to spend a little bit more time with your family. That definitely opens up that opportunity. Um, one quality every good leader needs compassion. That's awesome. Do you like coffee or do you drink would you drink an energy drink? I drink both.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

Don't mix them, but I'm No, you're pretty you've been pretty calm here, so you're not overdoing it.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

No, you're not you're not bouncing off the walls in here. So um your favorite part of your job.

SPEAKER_00 39:43

I think you're part of my job, just leading people, trying to make people better. That's yeah I like that. I I I always say I get you got your legacy for your family, then your legacy at work. So I want my legacy at work to be I helped as many people as I could get further in their careers than they could have or or can be.

SPEAKER_01 40:07

So this question possibly could be the same answer. What's the most challenging part of your job?

SPEAKER_00 40:11

It is. So I think the most challenging part is uh There's a lot. But I think you just go with a calm head. I I used to get excited or you know, a little upset sometimes. I've mellowed out in my older age. But yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:32

So if you weren't in manufacturing today, what do you think you'd be doing? I know what I'd like to be doing, but retired.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Yeah. I'm not there yet. So um I'm with you there, brother. I don't know. I've not never really thought about it. Yeah. I mean, everybody wants to be like a sports player or something like that, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Well, I think we're where we're meant to be. Yeah, I think so too. So Brian, I've really enjoyed talking to you. Uh I appreciate what you do at Quantix, and your your company has been just a longtime staple in this community. Um, and uh those jobs uh support a good amount of families in the community, and uh you guys are are doing a great job over there. So I've really appreciated about your company. Yeah, it's been great. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks for listening to the Hub Podcast sponsored by Manpower Eastern Indiana. If your business needs great people or you're looking for your next opportunity, contact Manpower Eastern Indiana today.