Meet Danielle O'Connor
Technical high school graduate turned EDM operator at Westminster Tool.
Danielle says the greatest aspect of working at Westminster Tool is the familial atmosphere. "Knowing that all my co-workers want me to succeed and be the best that I can be is the greatest feeling I could have. If I have a question or problem, I know I could ask anyone in the shop for help and they would assist to the best of their ability
Here is a little Q&A:
Q. What is the greatest asset you bring to Westminster Tool?
A. My eagerness to learn. I want to be the best and I know that I can be if I just listen to the people I have around me. The amount of knowledge and experience that I have surrounding me every day is unbelievable; I just need to tap into that and ask the right questio
Q. What is the industry's greatest challenge?
A. The misrepresentation of how machine shops appear. This turns people off from wanting to explore the trade. Yes, fifty years ago they may have been dirty and deemed an unsafe work environment, but things have changed. With all the standards and requirements put in place by various customers, shops have become much safer, cleaner, and more tech savvy.
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. I really enjoy using the RoboForm 350 and DP Control Software.
Q. What is th most important thing you have learned so far?
A. How to look at things using LEAN. I love learning about the principles of LEAN and how to apply them at work and home. It’s pretty surprising how much time you can save by making a few two-second changes every day.
Q. How does it feel to be a woman in manufacturing?
A. It feels pretty empowering. Every day is a challenge to push myself farther ahead in hopes to eliminate the stereotype “Women don’t belong in a machine shop”. I know that women have value in this field and I am trying my best to showcase that.
Q. How do you see women's role in manufacturing changing?
A. I believe that women can play any role in manufacturing just as well as a man could with the proper training and the proper attitude about it. We can’t go about this just to prove who “the better of the two sexes” is. We need to work together to reach a common goal- the technological advancement of manufacturing processes to eliminate waste, increase the value of a product, and reduce the time in which we do that.
