welcome to manufacturing day

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Production Control Units, Inc. 2280 West Dorothy Lane Dayton, Ohio 45439-1892 www.pcuinc.com Welcome to Manufacturing Day at PCU, Inc. Designers, Engineers, and Builders of Process and Special Industrial Equipment October 3, 2014

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Page 1: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

Production Control Units, Inc.2280 West Dorothy Lane Dayton, Ohio 45439-1892www.pcuinc.com

Welcome to Manufacturing Day

at PCU, Inc.

Designers, Engineers, and Builders of Process and Special Industrial Equipment

October 3, 2014

Page 2: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

2280 West Dorothy Lane, Dayton, OH 45439-1892 U.S.A. Phone: 937.299.5594 | FAX: 937.299.3843

Production Control Units, Inc.

II

RELATED LINKS OWNER

http://www.mfgday.com/ Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA)

https://www.facebook.com/MfgDay Facebook

https://plus.google.com/+Mfgday/posts Google+

https://twitter.com/mfgday#MfgDay14 Twitter

http://www.daytonrma.org/?page=mfgday Dayton Region Manufacturers Association(DRMA)

http://www.nist.gov/mep/mfgday.cfm The National Institute of Standardsand Technology (NIST)

Why We Participate in Manufacturing Day

Manufacturing Day was created to correct a public misconception, which does not do justice to modern manufacturing environments. Factories are generally perceived as antiquated buildings employing only low-skilled workers performing menial jobs. Contemporary facilities engage highly educated,well paid employees who work on state-of-the-art equipment. Manufacturing Day addresses this misconception by providing manufacturers with an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, exactly what manufacturing is and what it is not.

Page 3: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

PCU-1

October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

ABOUT PCU, INC.Founded in 1946 by a couple of engineers who developed a faster and safer method to precisely charge refrigerants, PCU, Inc. has evolved into a thriving company that designs, engineers, and builds process and special industrial equipment. With over 4,000 installations in more than 60 different countries, industry leading customers continue to do business with PCU, Inc. because of our reputation for providing unique solutions and responsive support that results in customer peace of mind.

By fi rst introducing Floating Ambient technology over 50 years ago, PCU remains a technology leader for reliable high side refrigerant injection, fl uid metering, and tool presentation solutions. Over the years, PCU's expertise has expanded to include hundreds of applications for evacuation and dehydration, oil processing, chambered leak testing, and tracer gas recovery systems. Viewed as a full service provider who delivers equipment solutions that ALL parties are proud of, PCU provides additional value from offering process consultation, design support, customized documentation, product testing, as well as fi eld support and technical training.

When people think of PCU, they envision a company where people achieve great things in an environment of professional integrity, personal growth, and collaboration. Where there is a commitment to the improvement of the quality of peoples' lives, and long-term sustainability of economic prosperity. It is envisioned that Team PCU will differentiate itself from the competition through excellent customer relations, trust, breadth of technical knowledge, and the elimination of mutual mystifi cation. Team PCU’s passion will remain doing business with customers that want to do business with PCU!

ENGINEERING CAPABILITIESPCU, Inc. serves a wide range of industries and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the world including Transportation, Appliance, Aerospace, Microprocessor, in addition to Commercial and Medical Refrigeration.This experience has nurtured a platform of both skills and capabilities to remain a long-term valued supplier to existing customers, as well as a "fresh set of eyes" to new OEM customers serving the Pharmaceutical, Power Generation, Alternative Fuels, and Wind Power industries.

TECHNICAL SERVICEWe offer a wide range of fi eld services and technical support including production start-up, emergency repair, telephone technical support, calibration programs, inspection/preventive maintenance services, and machine upgrades/refurbishments. We also service equipment designed and built by other manufacturers.

TECHNICAL TRAININGWe offer advanced and basic training programs tailored to maximize the knowledge and productivity of your maintenance crew and equipment operators. We adapt to a variety of training environments including formal classroom training, practical machine-side instruction, and on-site delivery with the customer’s own equipment. Training includes student manuals and handouts (with practical applications and exercises) and covers safety, system purpose, sequence of operation, operator interface, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance.

Brand Promise: More than Just Great Equipment!

Mission: Deliver Engineered Solutions that Result in Customer Peace of Mind.

Value Promise: A Solution ALL Parties are Proud of (Price, Performance, Support).Innovative Solutions

Page 4: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Manufacturing Day October 3, 2014

PROCESS EVALUATIONSWe provide an assessment to identify and defi ne any process, application, and/or production issues to determine compatibility with product introductions and changes that may require process modifi cations or a new process, machine, or product interface be developed. We can also complete an evaluation and analysis of system performance, process capabilities, and maintenance requirements including an assessment report and the accompanying recommendations.

EXPERIENCE• Web Enabled Data Mining, Data Collection, Remote Networking, Product Reporting,

and System Parameter Notifi cation Systems

• Automatic System Tracking, Transfer, and Tool Presentation Systems

• Design and Build of Specialty Fill Tools, Fill Adaptors, and Couplers

• Fluid Dispensing, Refrigerant Charging, and Metering Systems

• Reclamation, Recycling, and Recovery of Fluids and Gases

• Chambered Mass Spectrometry and Run Test Systems

• Production Process System Scope Development

• Chemical Mixing and Fluid Purifi cation Systems

• Semi-automatic Process and Assembly Control

• PLC Control, Monitoring, and Vision Systems

• System Hardware Integration and Control

• Gauging, Testing, and Metering Systems

• Process Testing Systems and Control

• Mechanical and Electrical Integration

• Air Flow Dynamic Testing Systems

• Rotary Table Assembly Systems

• Battery Fill and Test Systems

• Tube Soldering Systems

• Fluid Storage Systems

• Vacuum Systems

Page 5: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU? Manufacturing companies offer a diverse range of career options. The following narrative includes testimony from a variety of PCU, Inc. employees and explains why they chose to pursue an occupation in the fi eld of manufacturing.

MANAGEMENT Managers provide the direction and vision needed to run a successful manufacturing company.

Company President

Rewards: There is tremendous satisfaction received by developing an engineered solution that requires creating or assembling an array of components into a working system that will solve a customer’s problem.

Challenges: Deciding how to best position the company for long-term, sustained success. Balancing future plans with current realities.

Required skills: Engineering for problem solving. Business management for planning and execution.

Human Resources (HR) Manager

Rewards: My job gives me the opportunity to interact with employees from all levels, from the owner of the company down to the delivery people. I encourage employees when they are facing diffi culties in their job or personal lives and I can be the cheerleader for new programs. I believe a job in manufacturing can be very rewarding and the opportunities are endless. Manufacturing jobs are more than just the nuts and bolts of building equipment. They offer adventures into teamwork and effi ciency that cannot always be foundin other industries. Manufacturing equipment is not just putting parts together. It is about working together to meet the expectations of the customer and producing a quality product that everyone involved would be proud to say “I helped build it.”

Challenges: Trying to fi nd the right person for a specifi c job. Sometimes a person can be the right fi t technically, but their attitude or behavior will not fi t into existing group. The economics of a “bad” hire far outweigh the amount of time it takes to fi nd just the right person.

Required skills: A well rounded education is a must with an emphasis on business management. Not only do you need to understand the legal requirements of employment, but you also need to have an understanding of human nature. Good communication skills are important to any manufacturing position, but they are integral to the HR function.

Page 6: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Manufacturing Day October 3, 2014

Vice President of Finance and Administration

Rewards: Advising people on business decisions from a fi nancial perspective. Diverse job duties and interactions. Watching a product go through the design and build process and ultimately seeing the positive impact that product has on the consumer. It's nice to know someone's car brakes are working properly because we manufactured a machine toproperly test and service the brake system.

Challenges: Coming up with creative solutions to company and customer dilemmas. Managing business fi nancial expansion and contraction issues. Communicating with banking institutions to provide a positive outcome for the company.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Executive Vice President of Sales and Service

Rewards: Developing a new concept, bringing it all together, and seeing it through to fruition. Solving diffi cult problems for customers in manner that is profi table for the company and provides future business opportunities.

Challenges: Consistently meeting the needs of a diverse customer base. Effectively marketing custom engineered solutions. Developing new sales strategies.

Required skills: Strong verbal communication skills, patience, tolerance, the ability to interact productively with others, and an appreciation for varying cultures and values.

Required skills: Accounting (CPA), advanced mathematics, business management, and problem solving.

Materials and Logistics Manager

Rewards: Leading a department to achieve common objectives while working as a team to improve the organization. Educating, inspiring, and mentoring our company's young talent. Developing strong working relationships.

Challenges: Structuring my department to best fi t organizational needs. Aggressive deadlines. Providing deliverables as promised. Every day is different and fi lled with challenges that need a creative solution.

Required skills: Operations, materials, and logistics background. Business management. Entry level positions are available. There are multiple career paths and opportunities for advancement. Manufacturing is constantly changing with regards to technology. Knowledge gained is often transferrable to other industries or positions.

Vice President of Operations

Rewards: Being involved in the decision-making process and over-seeing daily operations to support company growth and add to the bottom line. Focusing on strategic planning and goal-setting in support of the company mission. It's always fun to make something and then see it work.

Challenges: Organizing available resources to fi t the tasks at hand and ensuring people have the right skill sets for the job.

Required skills: Business management. Engineering sciences. Natural ability to lead people.

Page 7: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

ENGINEERINGThe Engineering Department is responsible for designing the products that the manufacturing company sells.

Principal Controls / Electrical Engineer

Rewards: Working in the Industrial Automation fi eld, you will be exposed to a wide variety of customers with diverse end products across many industries. While their needs may be similar, the solutions are distinctly unique. What I enjoy most is the diversity of our customers and their individual requirements. I enjoy learning about and working with our customers to provide a quality solution to their specifi c problem.

Challenges: The most challenging part of electrical controls engineering (in the industrial automation environment) is keeping current with the latest technology, which is constantly changing. Working in this industry means you will continuously learn new hardware and software. You will be challenged routinely by products that may not be new to the industry, but may be something you have never encountered. Your ability to shorten the learning curve will be an asset.

Manufacturing today has a focus on automation and information. It is not about replacing people with machines, but how we can learn from the manufacturing process to continuously improve the end product while removing any non-value-added cost. Manufacturing is now moving back to the U.S.A. and the next generation of the workforce can have a signifi cant impact on the success of that movement. To build our manufacturing industry back up in this country, we cannot sit idle. We have to be an active part of the movement, not bystanders.

Required skills: Any course of study should contain some mix of business and management curriculums.It would be diffi cult for anyone to fully understand and contribute properly without a good understanding of how a business operates. Specifi cally related to the electrical controls position, a student must have basic problem solving skills as well as a logical mind. Courses of study should include electrical engineering, computer science, and information systems with an individual focus on database / data structure design, software engineering, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) / C++ / Java programming, and robotics.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Controls / Electrical Engineer

Rewards: Constantly inventing new equipment. Each project provides a new opportunity to learn.

Challenges: Turning the customer's vision into reality. Not just meeting but exceeding the customer's expectations, which is what sets us apart from our competitors and positions us for long term growth.

Required skills: Programming and electrical engineering.

Page 8: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Manufacturing Day October 3, 2014

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Rewards: Working on multiple intriguing projects simultaneously. Participating in an engineered solution to a complex problem from start to fi nish. Building unique equipment to solve unique customer problems and watching it evolve into the fi nal product.

Challenges: Sorting out diffi cult technical issues in time to meet customer deadlines. Paperwork.

Required skills: Mechanical and chemical engineering.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Mechanical Engineer / Project Engineer

The project engineer has a wide array of duties:

• Develop plumbing diagram designs for fl uid / gas handling, metering, recovery, and functional leak test machines. • Work with mechanical designers to create new custom parts, system assemblies, and installation drawings.• Develop the mechanical bill of materials and work with mechanical assemblers to support the equipment build.• Work with controls engineers and the technical services department to verify the equipment functions properly.• Develop the equipment manual with the controls engineer and technical writer.• Participate in the installation and start-up support at the customer's facility.

Rewards: I love starting a project where there is nothing but an idea of what the machine will be and then working to develop the idea. At the end of the project you have a machine that is completely built, successfully tested, and meets all of the customer’s expectations. Yay! I love building stuff!

Challenges: The most challenging part of my job is when I am working on multiple projects and there are constantly new complications that arise and need to be dealt with immediately. Not only do I need to devote my time to fi nding a fast, effective solution; I also need to move the additional projects forward to ensure there are no delays.

Required skills: Mechanical engineering, attention to detail, patience.

Applications / Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to solve problems that involve the production or use of chemicals. They design processes and equipment for large-scale safe and sustainable manufacturing, plan and test methods of manufacturing products, and supervise production.

Rewards: Solving new and ever changing problems. Traveling to new cities and different facilities. Manufacturing is a fi eld that you will enjoy, especially if you like to see a tangible object as the result of your work.

Challenges: Making the correct assumptions to minimize the risk of the unknown.

Required skills: Engineering with electives in business, psychology, hands-on mechanical labs, and writing.

Page 9: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

Applications / Tooling Engineer

Rewards: Accomplishing something diffi cult that others say cannot be done. Designing, building, and testing precision tools. Working in a constantly changing environment.

Challenges: Time management on multiple projects.

Required skills: Mathematics, engineering in statics and dynamics, and applied fl uid / material mechanics.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Mechanical Designer

Rewards: Being able to create something that will be used in the development and build of commercial products. The manufacturing fi eld is always changing. Being able to see what you have designed and built, actually working out in the fi eld, gives you the opportunity to see what the future holds by putting you in the front row to watch as technology progresses.

Challenges: Problem solving. Being able to take a theory and make it into a reality. Working on assignments that are not completely defi ned.

Required skills: Mathematics, computer science, drafting, and mechanical design concepts.

Technical Writer

Rewards: Seeing the fi nished product documentation represent the company brand in the best possible manner. Working with a variety of interesting engineering disciplines. Learning about new products and processes. Traveling to customer sites and meeting new people. Providing creative solutions for documentation challenges.

Challenges: Translating convoluted concepts and procedures into everyday language that anyone can understand. Extracting data from multiple sources and combining it into a single reference document in an accurate,cost-effective, and timely manner. Constantly evolving new skill sets as industries and technologies advance.

Required skills: Computer hardware / software, graphic design basics, English grammar / punctuation (with a willingness to learn additional languages), creative writing, and a penchant for science and technology.

Applications Engineer / Project Manager

Rewards: Seeing the job you managed fi nally completed with the machine or system up and running. Receiving feedback that your engineering and project management skills resulted in a satisfi ed customer.

Challenges: Dealing with the expectations of multiple customers simultaneously. Working through cultural differences and language barriers to ensure customer needs are met.

Required skills: Mechanical engineering. Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills.

Page 10: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Manufacturing Day October 3, 2014

Challenges: Ensuring production deadlines are met. Adapting to new situations and people.

Required skills: Computer skills, blueprint reading, and strong organizational and multi-tasking skills.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

MANUFACTURINGThe Manufacturing Department is responsible for building the products that the company sells.

Assembler, Mechanical / Electrical

Rewards: Putting all the little pieces together to create these machines is like solving an intricate puzzle. Seeing the fi nished product when the lights turn on, the buzzers go off, and the parts launch into motion gives me a sense of self satisfaction. I enjoy watching a project that I've worked on for a long time "come to life". It's fun to fi gure out the new equipment. Technology is always advancing and the designs are always changing to keep up with it.

Production Supervisor

Rewards: Watching our products move from raw materials to the assembly process and then fi nally becoming a fi nished machine. Motivating my team to meet production deadlines for the good of the company and our customers.

Challenges: Bringing together a diverse group of people to accomplisha specifi c goal within a specifi ed time frame.

Required skills: Business management and manufacturing experience: You don't need to know exactly how to do every job, but you have to understand the nature of what needs to be done to effectively direct people.

Production Services Coordinator

Rewards: This job is never monotonous. I have many occasions to interact with a variety of people both inside and outside of the company. I get to be a "jack-of-all-trades" by fi lling in for other employees while they are away or helping the existing staff when needed. I constantly get to learn new things.

Challenges: Starting a new build when you have no previous experience with the design. Communicating with multiple departments to determine the exact machine specifi cations.

Required skills: Good common sense, ability to learn quickly through on the job training, and the ability to read schematics, plumbing diagrams, and blueprints. You must have a basic mechanical or electrical aptitude and enjoy working with your hands.

Electrician

Rewards: I enjoy working in a clean, climate controlled environment. Because I get to move around so much at work, I stay in great shape and the time always passes quickly. I'm not stuck behind a desk in one place all day. I enjoy the people I work with in the shop.

Challenges: Keeping on top of changing technology and tools of the trade. Continuing my education.

Required skills: Mathematics, electrical/electronic theory, industrial maintenance technology, blueprint reading, and goodcommunication skills.

Page 11: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

Machinist

Rewards: Being in on the ground level for the development of new products. Building fi xtures that solve a specifi c problem for the company and its customers. Taking a raw piece of metal and fashioning it into something functional.

Challenges: Working through design problems. Discovering part mismatches and fi nding a way to re-work the part to fi x it.

Required skills: Willingness to work hard, basic mechanical aptitude, blueprint reading, understanding of advanced tools, safety conscious attitude, and trade schooling.

Required skills: Advanced mathematics, basic machining, blueprint reading, and CNC trade schooling.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

CNC (Computer Numeric Control) Machinist

Rewards: There are always new parts to research and develop. I enjoy working as part of a team and I appreciate the unity and camaraderie between the members of machinists group. I like being involved in the design and engineering of precision tools and couplers, developing new machine programs, and seeing the fi nished product work in production.

Challenges: Finding creative ways to improve product quality and shorten production times. I like to ask myself, "How fast can I chew up this piece of metal and spit out something useful?"

"There is a critical shortage of machinists, a common and crucial position in factories" said Rob Akers,Vice President of the National Tooling and Machining Association. "Enrollment in this fi eld in technical schools has been down for a long time."

Tool Maker

Rewards: As long as you are legitimately qualifi ed, you can always fi nd a steady job as a machinist.

Challenges: Figuring out complex tools for the fi rst time.

Required skills: Trade schooling, an apprenticeship with a senior machinist, and the ability to quickly learn through on-the-job training.

Specialty Tooling Technician

Rewards: I like researching, developing, and testing a variety of custom tools for different customer applications.

Challenges: Troubleshooting why a tool won't work with a particular customer's product and ultimately fi nding the solution.

Required skills: Basic mechanical design and troubleshooting skills.

Page 12: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Industrial Painter

Rewards: I like taking something raw and making it look new and shiny.

Challenges: Sometimes the job may seem so big that you can never fi nish it. You just need to stick with it and do as much as you can each day. Eventually it all comes together.

Required skills:

Ability to learn quickly through on-the-job training, trade schooling, and a safety-minded attitude. Sometimes you have to learn through trial and error. Auto body shop painting experience can be helpful.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Industrial Welder

Rewards: I enjoy working with my hands to build new equipment. Every job is different and interesting. I like visiting customer facilities to learn about their products.

Challenges: This is a physically demanding trade.

Required skills: Welding trade schooling and the ability to learn quickly through on-the-job training.

SALESThe Sales department works directly with our customers to ensure their needs are met and seeks out new customers that will benefi t from the company's products and services.

Account Manager

Rewards: I take pride in being a potential customer's fi rst impression of our company. Accepting an account management position is a choice that carries a commitment; which includes travel, working outside of conventional offi ce hours, and an obligation to those employees who depend on sound judgment and guidance. The reward comes from having the opportunity to help lead a company and infl uence its destiny. I enjoy traveling to customer facilities and seeing our products in action. I take pride in seeing our machines working to improve the quality of life for our customers and the people they represent.

Challenges: Applying our core technologies to a multitude of industries in order to expand the company footprint. Reaching the correct person to present a business proposition, the actual decision maker, within a potential customer's organization can sometimes be challenging.

Required skills: Strong interpersonal communication skills, business management, and an understanding of applied mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering principles.

Page 13: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

Business Development Manager

My role in business development is to facilitate our transformation from a "Fluid Filling Equipment Company” to an “Industrial Fluid and Gas Management Systems and Services Company”.To accomplish this goal, I analyze our current customer base and act to develop relationships in the upper management levels of each customer's parent company. When seeking out new business partners, it is important to determine if our products and services are a good fi t to sustain the potential customer's enterprise so that everyone can prosper.

Rewards: Building business relationships that may ultimately infl uence our company's direction. Constantly meeting new people.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Challenges: Aligning our company with decision makers at the highest corporate levels who are in need of innovative solutions. Demonstrating to potential customers that we are way ahead of the competition.

Required skills: Strong interpersonal communication skills, business management, and an understanding of applied mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering principles.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT / FIELD SERVICESField Service Engineer

Rewards: I enjoy being my own boss out in the fi eld with no direct supervision. I constantly get to travel and experience different cultures. With a job in fi eld service, you get to see the world on "someone else’s dime". Even though most of your time on site is devoted to the job at hand, there is almost always enough downtime to go see something you may have only read about in books or seen on television. A prime example is the opportunity I had (while working at a customer's facility) to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Taj Mahal.

Challenges: Working out in the fi eld and having to make decisions after hours without the ability to reach key personnel to provide answers or direction.

Required skills: It is unfortunate that troubleshooting is becoming a dying art. Engineering studies will provide you with basic theory, but nothing beats hands-on experience and learning how to trace a problem through a complex system. You must have the ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome diffi cult technical situations to provide the customer with the best possible support services.

Technical Service Representative

Rewards: I enjoy traveling to multiple customer sites to provideperiodic maintenance for our equipment. I'm not chained to a desk all day and have a diverse range of duties, which include checking out our fi nished systems to ensure they meet engineering and customer specifi cations.

Challenges: Determining the true nature of the customer's problem and fi xing it. Communicating across different cultures and language barriers can be diffi cult.

Required skills: Well-rounded technical background, good communication skills, patience, blueprint / schematic reading, and the ability to learn quickly through on-the-job training.

Page 14: Welcome to Manufacturing Day

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Manufacturing Day October 3, 2014

Accounting and Contracts Administrator

Rewards: The things I enjoy most about accounting is the fact that each day is different and I feel like I’m involved in the fl ow of work through the business. Many people think that accounting can be a repetitive or boring process, but it’s not that way at all!Since manufacturing custom machines makes up most of our business, new accounting issues arise on a daily basis. Not only is each project or order different for the production team, it’s different for the accounting group as well. It’s much more than just totaling up the numbers and providing fi nancial statements.

SUPPORT SERVICESSupport services are crucial to a successful manufacturing company. The company cannot run without them.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Shipping and Receiving Hub Coordinator

Rewards: Knowing that we are an integral part of meeting customer requirements and deadlines. Everything the company uses, from copying paper to complex components, fl ows through the hub.

Challenges: Coordinating the timely receipt and distribution of all the items needed to make the company run (and that means everything). Managing the stress of constantly changing priorities.

Required skills: Data entry, basic computer skills, inventory and material management, fork lift operator, attention to detail, multi-tasking, positive attitude, and a desire to learn.

It’s important for the accounting group to have knowledge of the overall project, from the billing structure and production schedule, to delivery dates and freight costs. We need to stay informed on the projects passing through our building so we can accurately account for them. Having knowledge of the production process and fl owalso helps us create accurate forecasts and budgets for the future, which are very important parts of theaccounting process.

Challenges: The most challenging part of my job is adapting to the accounting practices of our international customers. A fair percentage of our business is done with foreign companies and their accounting practices can be different than what we are used to in the United States of America. Communication is key in conveying accounting practices and that can sometimes be challenging with language barriers and cultural differences.

Required skills: It’s important to be a well-rounded accountant and business professional if you choose to workin the manufacturing industry. Many accountants specialize in tax, cost accounting, fi nancial accounting,or auditing; but in a manufacturing environment it’s important to have some background in every aspect ofaccounting and business. A student should take a wide range of accounting classes as well as general business, economics, and marketing classes, to set themselves up for success as an accountant in this environment.

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October 3, 2014 Manufacturing Day

Purchasing and Logistics Coordinator

Rewards: Working with a variety of vendors and the team here at PCU, Inc.

Challenges: Making sure the vendors we choose are able to meet our requirements. Having the parts we need and being able to deliver those parts on time are key to the success of the company.

Required skills: Business management and the ability to learn quickly through on-the-job training.

IS A CAREER IN MANUFACTURING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Never discount the value of an entry level position, no matter what the job may be. Getting your foot in the door can lead to future success down the line. There is always room for personal growth at any size manufacturing facility.

Spare Parts Coordinator

Rewards: I get to speak with people all over the world and address their spare parts requirements in support of our custom equipment.

Challenges: Working through language barriers to help our customers obtain the parts they need. Trying to make additional sales in the best interest of the customer to increase our bottom line.

Required skills: Computer software, multi-tasking, blueprint reading, and good communication skills are important. You must enjoy working with people. This job also requires basic inside sales skills.