Sharan Bolster: 47-Year Employee Trades Hairnet for Cowboy Hat
Editor’s Note: Another Mack is ME! post, this series spotlights the people and personalities behind our services. Check back frequently or subscribe to the feed, as these profiles will be interspersed with news updates on a regular basis. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know us!
Title: Finisher, Headquarters Plant
Her job? As a finisher, Sharan builds, inspects and tests final product before it is shipped to customers. She has worked on many lines in her near-48 years at Mack, ranging from computer and business equipment to medical devices.
Favorite Mack project: Thinking back over her 4+ decades of projects at Mack, the one that shines through as her favorite was the Pitney Bowes WOW (Weigh-on-the-Way) line, a digital mailing system that weighs finished mail. Although she states that building the product was interesting, what really made it fun were the people. “The people I worked with were some of the greatest,” she recalls. “Even though the product was fun to put together, they made it an even better experience.”
Experience: Sharan began working at Mack at the age of eighteen. “Straight out of high school,” she says, “on September 26, 1966!” She launched her career in the finishing department of the East Arlington plant, the headquarters plant at that time, but when the “new building” was built and headquarters moved, Sharan moved right along with it.
Changes in Mack: The most dramatic change Sharan notices about Mack over the years is its size. She notes that not only has the company gotten physically larger and added facilities, but it has expanded into different markets and grown in personnel as well. “When I started, it was just a little company—a lot of families worked here,” says Sharan. “Now it’s a lot bigger, but it’s still a family company.”
Personal life: Sharan lives in the Town of Sunderland, Vt., with her husband, Henry, who works at Mack in the metals department. “We met right over at the East Arlington plant!” Sharan says. They have a grown daughter, Ruth, who along with her husband, Todd, lives right next door to Sharan and Henry. “I get to have a lot of family time,” says Sharan.
When not at work: When she’s not working, Sharan is a cowgirl at heart. Growing up around animals, she now has what her daughter calls “a small farm” of chickens and goats. Her favorite summer activity is attending Saturday night rodeos in Castleton, Vt., with her family. At the urging of her sister, Sharan attended her first rodeo a few years ago and, after seeing the bull riders (her favorite event), she was hooked. “They get bucked off and keep coming back for more!” she says. “It’s so entertaining to watch!”
Her other favorite activity is spending time with her husband, daughter and son-in-law.
Life after Mack: With her new-found free time, Sharan plans to go to as many rodeos as possible! She is also looking forward to spending more time with family. “I just like to be with my family as much as possible,” she says. Sharan has enjoyed her past 47 years (and 8 months, she’s quick to add!) at Mack, and is sad to say goodbye. “It’s such a great place to work,” she says. “Everyone is so nice and easy to get along with.”
While we will miss her smile and always positive attitude, we wish Sharan many more rodeos and the best in her retirement!
Betty Babbin: 46-Year Employee Retires
Editor’s Note: Another Mack is ME! post, this series spotlights the people and personalities behind our services. Check back frequently or subscribe to the feed, as these profiles will be interspersed with news updates on a regular basis. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know us!
Name: Elizabeth (Betty) Babbin
Title: Finishing Leader, Cavendish plant
Her job? As finishing leader, Betty is responsible for tracking production on the finishing floor. She ensures that all parts needed for assembly are on hand, including those being molded. On any given day, she is responsible for employees working on five or more product lines.
Favorite Mack project: If Betty had to choose a favorite project that she has worked on at Mack, it would be her current product lines. However, choosing a favorite is very difficult for her. “I just like my job. I like what I’m doing and I like the people I work with,” she says.
Experience: Betty began working at Mack’s Cavendish plant in June, 1968, and has been a full-time employee there ever since. At the age of 18, Betty started her first full-time job as a third-shift molder in the molding department. From molding, she quickly moved into material handling, shuttling supplies between the warehouse and finishing floor. Ultimately, she transferred into the finishing department, where she currently works. A non-traditional student, Betty began taking classes after work at Vermont Adult Learning Center (Springfield, Vt.), proudly earning a high school diploma in 2009.
Changes in Mack: Having been with the company continuously for nearly 46 years, Betty provided some insight into the changes she has seen throughout her career. “Everything has improved,” recalls Betty. “We have better jobs, a better facility and we produce higher quality products.” Mack has gained new clientele throughout those 46 years. Along with the growing customer base, the Cavendish plant has expanded, adding employees and doing more assembly work than ever before. “Being here for so long, you see a lot of new product lines come in, but there are not a lot of product lines leaving,” says Betty.
Personal life: Betty was born in Springfield and grew up in Cavendish. She has five brothers and a sister who also still live in the area. Currently, Betty resides in Ludlow, Vt., with her husband, John. She has a son, Christopher, a chef at the Putney Inn, as well as a daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren, Skyler, 17, and Jesse, 6, who reside in N.J.
When not at work: An artist, Betty is often found capturing scenic Vermont landscapes on canvas. Originally working with graphite on paper, she switched to acrylic painting about nine years ago. “I saw my brother painting and wanted to give it a try, so I bought acrylics and like them a lot,” says Betty. In addition to painting, Betty also enjoys exercising, which she does regularly every morning before she heads to Mack.
Life after Mack: Betty plans to make the most of her retirement by filling her time with the activities she loves. “I’d like to do more camping,” she says. She also plans to invest more time in her painting. Who knows, someday soon you might even be able to purchase a ‘Betty Babbin Original!’
Please join us in wishing Betty the very best in her retirement!
Mack Announces New President for Southern Division
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARLINGTON, Vt. (June 10, 2014) – Bryan Campbell, Mack North headquarters plant manager, has been named successor to Ray Burns as president of Mack Molding, Southern Division, effective September 1, 2014, it was announced today by Jeff Somple, president, Mack Molding, Northern Division.
“Bryan brings a combination of sales and operational experience to his new role, not to mention boundless energy,” says Somple. “He is as comfortable in the conference room with customers as he is in the molding room with technicians. Bryan has gained valuable experience while working in a sales/engineering capacity and, later, heading up our largest and most complex manufacturing facility in Vermont. Additionally, he brings an automotive background to the table, which is critical in terms of large‐part molding, Class A painting, and the markets served by our southern plants.”
Campbell joined Mack in 2008 as a program manager, where he gained front line experience with medical OEMs. Just one year later, he took that experience to the operations side to manage the Headquarters Plant, which focuses on complex contract manufacturing, including medical devices. In that role, he supervised the molding, sheet‐metal, machining and contract manufacturing operations, and had P&L responsibility for that plant.
Before joining Mack, Campbell was operations manager for Guardian Automotive, Warren, Mich., a Tier 1 automotive supplier. He had responsibility for multiple plants, including New Bern, N.C. During his eight‐year stint there, he also served as quality assurance manager and quality engineer.
Campbell holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Catawba College, Salisbury, N.C., and has also completed lean manufacturing modules by Toyota Production System Training and the University of Kentucky.
Campbell will begin working this month with Ray Burns, current president at Mack’s Southern Division, until Burns retires later this year. He will be joined in Inman, S.C., by his wife, Dina, and children Kerri, 13, and Andrew, 11. “Bryan is an avid golfer and skier – one passion will be well‐served, while one will suffer,” quips Somple.
About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 11 facilities throughout the world. Don Kendall is president and CEO.
Ed Jolley: Retiring After 37+ Years
Editor’s Note: Another Mack is ME! post, this series spotlights the people and personalities behind our services. Check back frequently or subscribe to the feed, as these profiles will be interspersed with news updates on a regular basis. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know us!
Name: Ed Jolley
Title: Tool Room Manager, Cavendish Plant
His job? Home to some 450 tools, the Cavendish tool room has been under Ed’s management for the past 37 years, when he joined the company full-time in his current position. Before that, he worked summers and weekends for Mack, starting when he was in high school in 1966 and continuing through college. As tool room manager, Ed and his team are responsible for maintaining the molds and getting them prepared for production. But beyond that, they also build gauges, fixtures, degating equipment — basically, anything the business needs.
Favorite Mack memory: “I was still in high school when I started working summers at the Cavendish plant,” Ed recollects. “During my first summer, I worked on the maintenance crew with Don Kendall (current CEO and President) and John Macksey’s brother (John is currently molding manager, Arlington Plant). We were tasked with removing some big brick boilers from the boiler room. I’ll never forget all of us banging on boilers and wheeling out the rubble in wheelbarrows. It was hard work, but we had fun!”
Experience: Ed graduated from Vermont Technical College (Randolph, Vt.) with an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering. During college, he worked summers and weekends at Mack’s Cavendish Plant. Following graduation, he joined the engineering department at what was then Mack’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt. (now known as the East Arlington Plant). Shortly thereafter, he moved to Connecticut to work for Napco, a plastics manufacturing company in Bristol. Four years later, his current position opened up at the Cavendish Plant, and he was drawn back to his hometown.
Personal life: Ed is a Vermonter through and through. Born and raised in Cavendish, he has two sisters, who also live in Vermont. For many years, Ed lived just down the street from the plant, and walked to work every day. About 18 years ago, he moved to Rockingham (about a 30-minute drive from the plant), where he currently resides with his wife, Michele Delhaye. “When I first moved to Rockingham, just the act of getting into my car to drive to work seemed foreign to me,” he recalls.
When not at work: Ed and Michele are dog lovers, particularly Basset Hounds and Golden Retrievers. “At one point, we had five Bassets and a Golden Retriever,” he says. Currently down to three — one Golden, Spencer, and two Bassets, Eleanor and Lexi – they live in a rural area close to hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing — a perfect location for Ed, Michele and their canine friends. Ed is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Springfield Humane Society. In addition to board duties, he volunteers for the group at fundraising events.
Life after Mack: Ed and Michele have added a camping trailer to their outdoor lifestyle, and plan to spend lots of time using it to tour and camp around New England. He also plans to restore a 1948 Ford 8N tractor. And once he sifts through “several repair and paint projects around the house,” Ed wants to volunteer at a nearby recycling center a couple days each week and work part-time for a friend in the logging business.
Please join us in wishing Ed all the best in his very active retirement!
We Can Grow With You!
Can your contract manufacturer quickly scale up to meet increased demand? It’s a critical question as you transition from start-up mode to full-scale manufacturing. Take a look at what we did to meet increased demand for one of our customer’s – WaveMark, which has now joined Cardinal Health.
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