Employee Stories

I started at MMD when I was 18 and still in high school. It was a good fit for me, so I went to tech school during the day and continued working here, in the mold building department, at night. Eventually, I moved to the machining side and worked my way up to supervising. From there, I learned programming, became a programming supervisor and now I’m in project management, where I work directly with customers. Learning many aspects of the business, I have had the chance to pursue numerous, diverse opportunities to advance my career at MMD.

I work with a lot of creative people here who are willing to tackle complex parts, and collectively, we don’t ever give up on finding solutions. Every day brings new, fun projects that we get to work on. And even when change might seem a little stressful at first, with a lot of good people around, it ends up being a lot of fun.

When I started with the company back in 2005, I was told that I would have an opportunity to pursue my long-term interests at MMD and make my career here if I wanted to. I began as a press operator on the production floor, moved into quality control, eventually worked in customer service and now I’m a senior sales executive. All the while, my goal was to get into sales, and the company put me on a path to get there. By giving me the necessary background I needed for success in my future, MMD helped me to pursue my ambitions, assisting me every step of the way.

When Tim Holland from MMD came to my high school and talked to CAD class about the idea of pursuing a career in manufacturing, I was immediately intrigued. This led me in the direction of tech school and I never looked back. As soon as I graduated from tech school, I began working as mold maker apprentice at MMD. From there I moved into a mold maker role for about two years and then into mold design. Learning how the processes and operations work together has become something that drives me, and today I enjoy going to work every day as part of the leadership team that helps guide the business.

When MMD leadership came to my high school and talked to my CAD class about pursuing a career in manufacturing, I was immediately intrigued. When I started tech school, I had no clue of the magnitude of the journey I had begun. Upon graduation, I was hired by MMD as a mold maker apprentice. I immediately benefited from MMD’s willingness to fuel my voracious appetite for knowledge. Learning every day, over the next decade I worked as a mold maker, mold designer, and eventually as a mold design manager. This gave me a sound technical background to thoroughly understand our offerings. As the company grew, I continued to serve in a variety of roles, including estimating and project management. Having direct contact with customers, I learned how to communicate our value and listen to their needs. After twenty years, MMD backed up its belief in my abilities, entrusting me with the position of VP – Industrial. The company has been a fantastic fit for me because it has been as eager to help me learn the business as I’ve been to learn it, giving me the necessary education that goes far beyond schooling. Today, I enjoy being part of the leadership team that not only guides the business but also personally invests in the development of others just like me.

After high school, I bounced around for a while – different locations, jobs and classes, too. Eventually, I had an opportunity to work at Metro Mold & Design as a temp. After my first day, I proved myself and they were willing to give me a chance. It’s been like that ever since – every time I prove myself, I’m given additional trust and responsibility. This has led me to working in numerous positions throughout my time here, and I enjoy the variety and working with different people along the way.

And that’s another thing about working at MMD – the people. You’re not treated like a number here. Owners walk around, know your name and say “hi.” It really makes a difference when you can enjoy going to work every day and get along with everyone in the company.

MMD has invested in training for me, and I’ve been given numerous chances to continue my career growth here. I’m not sure many other companies do that. It’s been a really great fit for me since Day 1.

I started as a nobody – as a temp – and I’m proud of that. I got to see how things worked around here from the ground up, and now I get to have a voice about how to make changes around here and make things better. It all started by just working hard and showing a willingness to learn and be held accountable. My bosses have been great, recognized my potential and helped put me on a path to continue growing in my career.

That goes for training, too. The company has paid for me to get trained and certified so that I can continue offer more to the company while gaining more responsibility and trust. I love that the CEO of the company knows who I am, I know everyone at the company, and we all work together to continually contribute to our success. I can’t believe I’ve ended up in this role after just three years, especially when I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a great move to apply at MMD.

I started at MMD during my second year of tech school. My dad owned his own mold building company, and although I was interested in his line of work, I didn’t want to work in a place where I would carry the stigma of “the boss’s kid” around with me every day. Even though MMD was a direct competitor to my dad, he had a lot of good things to say about it. So, I interviewed, and the rest is history.

Having started as an apprentice mold builder in 1997, I’ve been a part of a lot of change – both at the company and in my career. It’s been exciting to be a part of MMD’s evolution from strictly mold building to sampling some of our own molds to eventually adding precision machining. Plus, I’ve been able to jump around the company to pursue different opportunities I was interested in – from mold building to machining to supervision.

It’s very important to understand that if you come to MMD and are willing to put in the effort, grow with the company, and have an open mind, the opportunities are pretty endless here. When you show the ability and drive, people will definitely acknowledge it, and provide the coaching and training to make you successful.

I guess a traditional four-year education wasn’t for me. Looking to gain hands-on experience, I started as a temp at MMD, and after my 500-day probationary period, they hired me right away. They gave me opportunities to lead and I took advantage of them, proving my value in various roles. They continued to trust me, and I continued to excel in different areas of the company.

Over the years, many position changes have been offered to me – into places that needed my help. Each time, I’ve been willing to go wherever they ask me to go. Once I help turn things around, they let me move on to somewhere else that needs my help. I’ve never been at a company where I’ve gotten this kind of support.

At MMD, they trust their employees, and if you prove you’re willing to grow with the company, the opportunities for growth, for movement, for expanding – climbing up the ladder – and additional training and education – will all come your way.

As I looked around for a new company, I had to consider that I was about to get married and have a baby, which meant I was looking for more than a place to work – I was looking for a place to have a career. MMD fit the bill, and I haven’t looked back since.

At the very least, this is an exciting, fast-paced environment, running different parts and tackling different challenges every single day – it’s an exciting place to work. But it’s even more than that. I know I’m going to face issues throughout the day, but with so much knowledge in this building, through collaboration and constant problem solving, we accomplish so much more than we would on our own, or in some other type of environment.

Now that I’m in management, I deal with social, political and sales issues between people in our building, other buildings and with customers, on a regular basis, and just because someone’s opinion is different, it’s not wrong. Everyone respects what you have to say. That’s what I like most about working here – the people. And we make pretty cool products, too. The way we’re set up here – it’s this perfect mesh for success.

After graduating with a degree in Finance and Credit, I pursued an opening at MMD for Receptionist/Accounts Payable. When a buyer position opened up, I applied for it internally and got the job. Due to the nature of the business, I moved to the Medical side of the company in a document control and project assistant role. After about 3 years, as the business really began picking up, they hired a doc control and buyer, while I remained in the project assistant role. Then, 2 years ago, I was promoted to Project Manager.

What I have enjoyed most about working at MMD has been the ability to choose my own career path. They ask you what you want to do in the company, how you want to grow and give you the options to pursue the positions you want. And they really hear you and back it up. They encourage you to branch out and look at any training options that might help in your career, and then make sure you get it. Basically, I really like the people that I work with on a daily basis. We’ve all been here for a while and enjoy the culture that we’ve helped build over the years.

I started working at MMD right out of high school. I was placed here through a temp agency and then hired by the company in 2012. I began as an operator, and a year later I got promoted to a line lead as well as set-up technician. Showing up to work every day and doing my best has really paid off, allowing me to continue moving up in the company.

Mostly, I enjoy being appreciated for the work that I do at MMD. They respect you and treat you fairly, and invest in you as a person. Over time, I continue learning about the Medical Molding industry – doing setups, paperwork and making sure things got done on time. These are skills that I can use throughout my career. The knowledge, constant learning and on-the-job experience you receive at MMD will help you pursue anything you want in a career in manufacturing. I have never second-guessed my decision to work here.