Miki Edge

How did you choose a career in manufacturing and what do you enjoy most about your work?

Manufacturing wasn’t my first career. After working at Lowe’s as an inventory account manager for 15 years, I made the move to George Products Co., a specialty metal fabricator. Initially hired as their shipping person, within 6 months I also took on the role of inventory management so everyone in the company could easily access information and data.

Next, I took on production scheduling, then added the role of purchasing manager, but it didn’t stop there. In 2006, when OASIS Inspection Systems became a part of the business, before I knew it, I was wearing multiple hats – accounting, purchasing, shipping and receiving, and HR.

A little more than a year ago George Products and OASIS Inspection Systems were acquired by Junia Holding Inc., and I was appointed general manager, responsible for meeting customer expectations, operations, and P&L. While I’m still involved in production scheduling, I’m also working on continuous improvement initiatives such as introducing lean concepts and getting our ERP software system used to its fullest potential. Another key priority and focus area is to grow the company’s sales and expand our customer base.

I’ve stayed in manufacturing for 25 years because I really enjoy working with teams and putting all the pieces together – from scheduling to sourcing materials and working with customers – to seeing the end result which is providing quality finished products.