27/05/2006
Marine Corps welder climbs the management ladder at Advanced Technology Services
GIJobs.net
Like many Marines, Bill Boyer followed his father's footsteps to the Corps. However, it was the senior Boyer's post-military success that really inspired the son to join.
"When my dad left the military, he did very well in the business world," Boyer says. "I figured if I joined the Marines as well, I would absorb some of the same intangibles - especially leadership and discipline - that could help me find civilian success."
Boyer, 34, has done his father proud. Less than five years into his career at Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS), the former sergeant has risen from a factory floor mechanic to management. Boyer is a site manager overseeing 90 ATS employees who repair and maintain equipment in two production plants owned by Caterpillar, Inc., which is famous for its trucks, tractors, and industrial machinery. One facility builds transmissions for trucks and tractors while the other assembles the tractors themselves.
Less than five years into his career at Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS), the former sergeant has risen from a factory floor mechanic to management. Boyer's squads are a mix of white- and blue-collar workers: electricians, mechanics, supervisors, and schedule planners. And his daily tasks are as varied as those "troops." He usually arrives at one plant by 5 a.m., meets with the previous night shift (which worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) to review and troubleshoot any issues that might have arisen.
At 6:30 a.m., the former Marine meets with Caterpillar managers and executives to go over what equipment needs to be fixed and in what order. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Boyer works with his employees on the floor before visiting the other plant.
"If it's a good day without a lot of breakdowns, I usually go home around 3:30," he says. "But if it's a bad day, I might not leave until 7 p.m."