In her own words: Destany Bierig, Team Lead, Plastikos, Inc
What or who fueled your interest in manufacturing?
My fiancé was working for Micro Mold at the time, and he had suggested the job to me. Ultimately, the opportunity provided me with a more promising career path than the position I was in with my previous employers.
What is your current role in manufacturing?
I am the Team Lead for one of the four shifts we have. I work with the people on the floor to make sure their job goes as smoothly as possible. I can do anything from helping auditors to operators. I make boxes, make sure they have packing materials, designate everyone to their areas, check parts, make sure packing instructions are right, etc. I also work with my supervisor and others in the shop to improve current situations or help alleviate situations as they arise.
Describe your path to get to where you are today.
I had never done manufacturing before this job. In fact, I had never heard of manufacturing jobs before my fiancé, who was just my boyfriend at the time, pointed me in this direction. I did my interview with the company and was very honest about my experience and how I came to know of the position I was applying for. When I started in 2019, I began as an operator. Pulling presses and checking parts. Almost every year after I started, I have had a different role in the company. From 2021-2022 I was a Quality Auditor. I pulled shots from presses and checked them every hour and helped the operators and packaged boxes to go into shipping. From 2022-2023, I was a Lead Inspector. Every time there was a press start-up or shut down, I would do inspections to verify that the product was being made to an acceptable standard. Recently, I was promoted to the Team Lead to manage a team of operators and auditors.
What is your Superpower?
I believe my superpower is multitasking. It’s also been pointed out to me on more than one occasion by my peers. I like to keep busy, so it is something that has become normal for me. I can be helping someone, have other things going on that need attention, and be able to work my way through it with very little to no problems at all. I can help pull presses while checking on others and helping wherever I am needed.
Why is your role important to others – like to customers or end users?
My role is important to my shop as I am one of many in line to make sure the operators can focus on the presses they have and in the training that goes into making sure parts are acceptable. In the same sense, we produce plastic parts that have crucial functions within our customers’ medical devices. An operator may be able to catch an issue before it makes it to an Auditor or a Lead Inspector, if they are doing their jobs in the correct manner.
What do you think the future holds for your career or others you inspire?
I am not sure what the future holds for me in my current position as there are so many different areas to go in manufacturing. I am a “go with the flow” type of person who loves learning about new things and there is no shortage of that here. Starting as an operator and making my way to Team Lead has provided me with so many opportunities, I would not have had the chance to explore without my fiancé. I now know how to look at parts and identify defects and potential issues. I have also learned how to read prints, become proficient in metrology, which was a difficult area for me when it came to doing GD&T, and other things that all affect what goes on in the shop. I am absolutely positive that my future in this company will be great whether I move into a new role or stay in my current position.
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