Employee Spotlight: Lance Junker

  1. Name, title and how long you’ve been at Specialty Manufacturing Co.

Lance Junker, Shop Supervisor, 5 months

  1. Describe what your department is responsible for. What tasks are done daily?

I am part of a 17-person team consisting of CNC Specialty Machinists, CNC Programmers, EDM Specialists, Toolmakers, and Project Managers. Together we produce high quality tooling and specialty machines designed by our highly skilled engineering team. We also service a wide range of customers by offering close tolerance piece part machining capabilities as well as partnering with local manufacturers and food processing facilities to supply them with unique crib stock parts. Our daily tasks consist of troubleshooting and problem solving.

  1. What is a recent project that your department has been involve with? Describe what it was and why your team was successful.

One of our recent projects is a package of tooling fixtures that locate and secure metal plates for welding and machining. It is one of the largest projects we have taken on in terms of physical size and amount of steel needed.

  1. What makes your team / department successful when tackling a new project?

The experience we have as individuals and merging it together in a cooperative manner using concurrent engineering methods and cross departmental communication. Sharing ideas and working together is essential to producing a high-quality product in a timely manner.

  1. What advice would you give to someone starting a career in manufacturing?

The best advice I can give to someone starting out in manufacturing is to listen and learn all you can. Manufacturing is a broad career choice. It offers many different avenues to pursue. If you like working with your hands and running specialized high-tech equipment, go to a Technical College to learn about Machining, Toolmaking, Mechatronics, or Welding. If you have an outgoing personality that others are drawn to, and you value integrity; you may consider a college degree in Operations Management where you can learn about lean manufacturing principals and efficiencies specific to the manufacturing field. But above all, listen to others and learn from them!

Interested in a career at The Specialty Manufacturing Co.? View our current openings.