News headlines usually focus on the innovative technologies that bring about revolutionary products in biotech, robotics, 3D Printing, microfluidics, micro-electronics, and self-driving cars. But without people, no innovation can come to life.
While machines can mimic manual labor and can exhibit some aspects of “learning”, it is still a human who innovates. Inventors, scientists, and engineers have out-of-the-box ideas that they turn into products. And then someone has to prototype, program, manufacture, QC, and ship the device in order to get it to market and keep customer satisfaction high.
Clearly, it is all of our people who have built Potomac into the successful contract manufacturer that we are today, and we’d like to feature the stories of some of the people who keep Potomac running!
Raiff
Raiff is a typical production technician at Potomac: a young man with no formal technical education but a desire to learn and do interesting work that is stable.
“I found the position on Indeed but didn’t think I had the experience needed in the field to get the job,” explains the former construction worker. “But Potomac took a chance on me and gave me a shot.” We often see something in a person, maybe just a spark of curiosity, that tells us the candidate can be a good fit in our dynamic team.
Raiff has been on the job about 5 months and says it’s the first job the 31-year old has had where he feels like he’s going to be able to move up in the company and have a good future. “I learn something every day – all kinds of different things I knew nothing about. It’s really interesting work and when I tell my family and friends about the really cool things I do at work, they are impressed.”
Many of Potomac’s products are used in healthcare, especially cancer research. Since Raiff’s mother had cancer, he feels a real world connection being part of the process to improve cancer treatments and outcomes that might impact his immediate family.
But again, Raiff comes back to the people at Potomac: “It’s a great work environment and there is no drama. Everyone just wants to help each other produce and build great products for a better life.”
Trevor
While Trevor’s Associates degree in Engineering from Howard County Community College in Columbia, Maryland, gave him some basic skills, it was Potomac’s team-oriented company culture that helped him learn the specific skills needed for his role as a Quality Technician.
Trevor says that Potomac provided good hands-on training and had great historical documentation for equipment like measuring systems and Micro-view, the company’s automated quality control software. But most importantly he emphasizes, “Everyone was willing to share information for me to learn, and to get involved when I had questions. We always help each other out on the production floor, and I feel like we’re a family getting things done together. I really want to step up and make the others proud of my work!”
Coming from a job in the food service industry, the 23-year old likes interaction with the Potomac team that gives an understanding of each function in the total system. “This view of the entire process, end-to-end, really increases my ability to do the best quality control. Being part of the team & the community was a significant part of my decision to take the job. We have lunches monthly to talk about projects and share a vision for the company and I can talk with CEO Mike Adelstein whenever I need to, which I would not find in a big company.”
“I’ve only been here a short time,” muses Trevor, “but I’m already fully part of the whole company’s process and a valued team member.”
Mike
23 years after joining Potomac as a Sales Administrator, Mike is now the VP of Manufacturing, demonstrating the possibilities for an English Major to be a leader in advanced technology.
“It’s been a Circuitous route – Potomac afforded me the opportunity to venture outside my comfort zone and I helped build what the company needed at any given time and wore different hats as we grew the company”, says Mike. “I love working on technologies that make a difference in everybody’s lives – working at Potomac is a very fulfilling career – one I never imagined I’d have.”
But for Mike, “It’s all about the people, developing them and then it’s so gratifying to see our team’s success. I love helping people find themselves.”
