Interview with Paragon Die & Engineering

“It’s people that make the difference,” is written on the wall in the conference room where we sit for our Manufacturing Alliance Podcast with Greg Eidenberger of Paragon D&E (Paragon). Greg says, “The people are what actually help you provide product. They are the ones who make things happen. And if you don't have the right people with the right culture and motivation to help you succeed, you won't.”

When I ask him how Paragon leadership encourages that culture, he quickly answers, “Training.” He says that leadership encourages “champions.” They give employees ownership of the products in which they have a role in manufacturing. This is mainly accomplished through Kaizen events that help promote change and better processes by bringing together a cross-functional team—including everyone from the janitorial staff and machinists to program managers and designers to sales personnel and management—to work together on a challenge or change. He says, “This has created a level of awareness across the company of how integral everyone’s role is, no matter what they do on a job. Everyone has a hand in a product's manufacture on some level, so understanding how one person’s job impacts another person’s job is key to making effective change.”

He continues, saying, “It is very common today for people's roles to be misunderstood in terms of their impact on another employee and the project at hand.” And so, communication is key, but it has to be the right communication.

To listen in to our full conversation, click below.