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For Cathy Giese, Secondary Operator at Precision Plus, The Secondary Department Always Comes First

Michael Reader

Cathy Giese, Secondary Operator at Precision Plus (PPI) in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, has been a team member since March of 2010, as part of the Secondary Department.

For Swiss precision manufacturers such as PPI, secondary operations play just as an important role as manufacturing the parts themselves. Processes such as polishing, grinding, deburring, special assembly, or laser marking help to deliver a product with consistent quality and to specification.

Operation of the state-of-the-art equipment found in the Secondary Department requires individuals who are not only highly trained, but also be willing to learn about new equipment and operations. Cathy Giese has proven to be one of those individuals.

Terry Mumper, Manufacturing Engineer, who supervises Giese, explains: “My favorite thing about Cathy is her eagerness to learn. She is punctual and always arrives to work with a positive attitude. She works hard and is very conscientious of the quality of her work. She is a great part of the PPI Team and it is a pleasure to work with her.”

Giese concurs that she is driven by the opportunity to learn new things, such as inspecting job orders as well as learning to operate the OMNI-VISION® 2D/3D Inspection System, which allows for inspection of components and assemblies with the use of digital multi-frequency Moiré inspection probes.

Cathy appreciates her fellow team members, her excellent supervisor, and the company’s culture of respect for the family through workplace flexibility.

Outside of work, she loves to spend time with friends and family—especially her granddaughter. Cathy is an avid cook and baker, and is known for bringing samples of her delicious creations to share with co-workers. She also shares her culinary gift with her church, baking items for funerals and serving food at church dinners. In addition, Cathy is also a dedicated volunteer who helps with ushering on Sundays. She also loves sports, and is an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Brewers.

Precision Plus of Elkhorn, WI Celebrates MFG DAY with an Open House for the Community on October 8, 2015

Michael Reader

We want to extend a sincere “Thank You!” to everyone who helped make Precision Plus’ (PPI) 2015 Manufacturing Day (MFG DAY) Open House a success!

In all, there were forty-two guests who participated in the event on Thursday, October 8, 2015–members of our community that included educators, students, business partners, and the public at large.

The evening event, which began at 5:00 pm and concluded at 7:30 pm, centered on the manufacturing process as it is practiced at Precision Plus

Mike Reader, President and CEO of Precision Plus kicked off the evening by introducing the team, and sharing his thoughts about manufacturing. He pointed out the marked shift the industry has made over the years from a “dark, dirty and dangerous” environment, to clean, high tech industry surroundings that offer rewarding, high-paying careers to individuals who can combine their applied knowledge of STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), with the practical know-how of how things get done.

Following, several team members spoke about some of the different aspects of the operation:

  • Bill Wells, Sales and Engineering Manager, addressed the quoting and purchasing aspect of the business;
  • Rachel Cates, CAD Drafting, Engineering & Quality Assurance Support Specialist, talked about the design process, and featured a 3D design of a component;
  • Steve Dues, Application Engineer, explained how the CAM software works, and shared a video that takes a part from a 3D print design, through the CAM software to the CNC machine;
  • Terry Mumper, Manufacturing Engineer, talked about the Tornos machines, and the importance of math for designing CAMs;
  • Tom Lankford, Production Manager, explained how to optimally schedule production on different machines, and talked about the benefits to start “getting your hands dirty early in shop classes,” in order to become successful in a machining career;
  • Dale Wittlieff, Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement, talked about how quality fits into “everything” that PPI does, and explained the specifics.
  • Mark Beilman, Director of Education and Training, spoke about PPI’s education outreach, and showed the “Millennials Video” made by Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce.

Following the presentations, guests took tours of the facility, had refreshments and took home a key chain souvenir, a scaled replica of the component featured by Rachel Cates in the 3D design and by Steve Dues in the video.

We look forward to MFG DAY 2016!