Ask any human resource specialist and they will most likely tell you that employee recruitment can be a very challenging process. There may be a multitude of job applicants available for any given position. But many jobs don’t require just someone… they require the right someone. This was the case when ChemRite created the position of Production Specialist. For many years, ChemRite’s management team recognized that the company would greatly benefit from having a team member dedicated to production scheduling. The challenge was finding the right person to effectively manage all of the unique aspects of ChemRite’s production environment. When Patty Kramer came to ChemRite for an interview, ChemRite’s team immediately recognized that they had met the ideal person for the job
Patty spent her early years in Billings, Montana. When she was 6 years old, she and her family moved to Harvard, Illinois, which is close to the Illinois – Wisconsin border. She returned to Montana as a freshman in High School, where she remained until graduation. Patty excelled in math in school and remembers enjoying the challenge of solving equations. She also enjoyed helping others, so after high school she began an education in social work at Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. Later, Patty moved back to Harvard, Illinois and began working for a manufacturing company in Walworth, Wisconsin who produced harnesses for car engines. The position was Patty’s first experience with a production facility.
Patty was immediately intrigued by all of the aspects that make a production facility work and took the initiative to learn as much about the production process as she could. Her drive to solve problems and understand how things worked contributed to her gaining a diverse experience in production environments. She began a hands-on learning process working on the production lines, assembling car harnesses. She was later moved into a position within the company’s Quality Control department. Her keen attention to detail and desire to make sure the right processes were followed made her an excellent addition to the department. Patty continued to expand her quality control understanding, working for a variety of different manufacturing facilities. She learned the quality standards and processes for everything from lawnmowers and architectural concrete to personal and pharmaceutical products, even printing and silk screening. Her quality training included R&D work, where she learned how to dissect formulation issues. Patty says,”QA was a good fit because I want things to be done correctly. I like following the rules and ensuring a process is followed. Plus, you get to see a cause and effect of what you do – from the production end to the QA end.”
Patty’s initiative led her into other portions of the production process as well. She worked as a Machine Operator for a pharmaceutical packager. The facility encased all of its production lines within separated clean room environments. As a Machine Operator, Patty was responsible for the cleaning & sanitization of her assigned room, machinery maintenance and any personnel who entered the room. She enjoyed the fast pace of the position and became the top Machine Operator within the company. This experience later supported her role as the Production Supervisor for a manufacturer of candles, air fresheners and personal products. The position included involvement in the blending department. It was her first mix room experience and she enjoyed the challenge of putting a recipe together. Patty also held the title of Production Supervisor for a distribution center of magazines and calendars. She oversaw a staff of over 100 people, managing the daily flow of distribution and shipping and, at times, working a full 7 day week.
Then, in 2007, Patty responded to a job opportunity at ChemRite CoPac for a Blender. ChemRite’s management team was immediately impressed with Patty’s wide range of experience and her drive to excel. They felt that she was over qualified for the blending position, but knew she would be a model candidate for the function of Production Specialist. After the initial interview, ChemRite’s team went to work, putting processes in motion to create this desired position. Almost nine months after they originally met Patty, they called her and asked her to fill the newly created role of Production Specialist.
As ChemRite’s Production Specialist, Patty’s days are filled with many essential tasks. She enters batch information, manages the production calendar, and works with customers to create a production flow which works well for them and for ChemRite. Many factors must be considered when organizing the production calendar. Patty works with the rest of ChemRite’s production team to determine the best scenario for producing each customer’s order. More then just having available line time is considered – each project must be meticulously planned for maximum plant efficiency. An effort is made to run “like” products together to reduce change over time. In addition, because Patty has experience working in practically every department of the production process, she understands the demands that a new order places on each department within ChemRite and considers this when scheduling production. She modestly acknowledges that it is a team effort, but she feels that ChemRite’s team works well together to accomplish our ultimate objective of satisfied customers.
Outside of work, Patty greatly enjoys spending time with her family. She has two daughters, Jami, 29 , and Janelle, 25, as well as a son, Lucas who is 21. Jami has two children, Nicolas, 9, and Hannah, 4. Janelle has a 6 year old little girl, Skylar. Nicolas likes video games and riding his rip stick. Hannah enjoys playing Wii dance and swimming. Skylar loves the trampoline and her friends. Patty also comes from a large family of 3 sisters and 3 brothers. All of these loved ones play a large part in her life. In addition, Patty enjoys going to Brewers games and watching the Packers play.
The French Author, Victor Hugo, said, “Initiative is doing the right things without being told.” Throughout her career, Patty Kramer has shown outstanding initiative and has proven to be an exceptional addition to the ChemRite team. Her “can-do” attitude, hard work ethic, desire to see things done right, customer service skill and extraordinary production experience provides our customers with the ideal contact for scheduling their production needs. She has truly proven to be the right person for the job. If you haven’t already done so, we invite you to meet Patty and the rest of the ChemRite team. Come and see how our employees set us apart.