Technician Spotlight
Jonathan J., CNC Machinist
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How long have you been working as a machinist?
About 7 years
How did you first get into the industry and what were you doing?
I was working a regular job. One day, I decided to check out a job fair and they were talking about machining. I thought it looked really neat. From there, I completed one year at vocational school and two years at community college. I became a certified machinist and I started my first job at a shop.
Before working at PMG, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I worked at a Christmas tree lot. It was very tiresome carrying trees and strapping them down.
What aspect of CNC Machining do you enjoy the most?
I like the programming side of CNC machining most. I like being able to read and understand the programs and edit them. I also like writing programs.
What do you like most about working for PMG?
Before this project, I had never worked with casting, horizontal mills and VTLs. I don’t want to work on just one machine for the rest of my life – I like being able to learn something new and continue to grow.
I like that I can take as much time off for the holidays as I want, once my project is complete. I like the money and being able to afford to take five weeks off and not live paycheck to paycheck. This holiday season, I’m looking forward to spending time with my family.
How do you balance your career at PMG and family?
I talk on the phone with my family every day.
What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far?
1. Always be polite and respectful because it will get you further.
2. Listen to others because you never know what you might learn.
3. Each part I make is a representation of myself so I want that part to be the best that it can be.
When you’re not working, what sort of hobbies do you like to do in your free time?
I like going out to eat, fishing, visiting different street fairs and festivals. While on this assignment, I’ve gone to a few brew festivals and an oyster festival.
As we remember and pay tribute to veterans this month, Jonathan would like to say thank you
to his family members who’ve served including his father and mother.
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Do you ever wake up groggy from not getting enough sleep and realize that pot of coffee isn’t enough to get you through the day anymore? Are your muscles and joints achy from sitting at work all day? Does the weather prevent you from getting off the couch and reaching your daily step goal?
Our health is often easy to overlook, especially when life gets busy and we’re preoccupied with other things going on. At PMG, the health and well-being of each employee is a priority and healthy activity is encouraged.
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In 2018, PMG rolled out a brand new wellness program for corporate employees to take advantage of. The program provides every corporate employee with a Fitbit and access to the Wellness Fund, a reimbursement program for employees participating in activities that are relevant to the five areas of wellness – physical/mental, career, social, community and financial.
As a way to promote wellness and encourage friendly competition, PMG has hosted a quarterly Fitbit challenge since the program’s inception in January. “For me, the challenge motivates me to try. It motivates me to keep moving,” said Beth, HR Manager.
In Q1, employees competed in a Weekend Warrior Challenge which dared competitors to achieve 10 miles of steps over the course of the weekend. The winner managed to complete the challenge in 40 hours and 53 minutes.
In Q2, employees were challenged to reach one million steps over the course of the quarter’s three months. Two competitors were victorious and several others reached well over 500,000 steps for the quarter.
In Q3, PMG held their
Trip around the Lakes Challenge. There are 11,842 lakes in Minnesota, PMG’s home state, therefore, competitors were challenged to achieve a daily step goal of 11,842 and 30 active minutes per day. Q2 challenge winner, Kathy, Sales Administrator, blew all the other competitors out of the water with her daily activity levels and she won the Q3 challenge.
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“For me, it’s not just the contest, but also a daily goal to achieve,” said Kathy. “My Fitbit it set for 12,000 steps daily and when I hit that, it makes me feel good. It’s more something I want to do on a personal level.”
Kathy admitted PMG’s treadmill desk has been a big contributor to her success. She uses it daily and just having it in the office keeps her motivated to walk every day.
In addition to the treadmill desk, PMG offers employees several ways to maintain their health and well-being while at work. All employees have adjustable standing desks and ergonomic chairs. The kitchen is filled with healthy food options for those mid-day snack cravings. Wireless headsets allow employees freedom to walk while on the phone. Various games including shuffle board, Big Buck Hunter and Golden Tee are provided for employees to play in their free time or on their break.
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Today, approximately 40 percent of the office is participating in the Q4 step challenge and nearly 30 percent take advantage of the Wellness Fund.
Next year, corporate employees can expect some fun new challenge options that aren’t just step-based. In addition, PMG’s Project Management Team is looking into ways to enhance our wellness program opportunities for our technicians out on assignment. More exciting details to come in 2019!
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In honor of Veteran's Day on November 11, PMG employees submitted profiles of friends and family members who've served or are serving in the U.S. military. The profiles were displayed in the office as a way to acknowledge the contributions our veterans have made to our great nation.
This year marks the 100th year of Americans honoring and paying tribute to Veterans. Historically, November 11 was recognized as Armistice Day and commemorated the signing of the agreement that ended World War I in 1918. The federal holiday eventually changed to Veterans Day in 1954.
As of 2014, there are 21.8 million veterans of the U.S. armed forces and approximately 1.2 million active duty service members, with an additional 800,000 reservists. Please take some time this month to thank the veterans and service members you know for their contributions to our country.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you know that the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade costs, on average, between $11.6 million and $13.4 million?
Originating in 1927, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an iconic American event that over 50 million people tune in to watch every year. The parade is known for its creative floats and character balloons.
Since 1968, floats have been designed by artists at Macy's Parade Studio in New Jersey. The popular and creative floats can be up to 40 feet tall and 28 feet wide, but they fold down into a 12-foot-by-8-foot box. The average cost to build a float ranges anywhere from $30,000-$100,000.
Likewise, Macy's balloon designers, also known as "balloonatics", begin designing new balloons up to a year before the parade. The average cost per new balloon is around $190,000.
Want to walk with a Macy's character balloon? Volunteer to be one of the 90 balloon handlers needed to manage just one balloon. Each balloon uses anywhere from 300,000 to 700,000 cubic feet of helium. Filling every balloon costs a minimum of $510,000.
Tune in to NBC at 8am CDT to watch the 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and see this year's featured floats and balloons.
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Webinar - Nov 14 @ 1pm, CDT
What is manufacturing and how does the sector breakdown?
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Since the 1900s, America has seen the manufacturing sector transform into something our forefathers couldn't even have imagined. Join us for an informative session about manufacturing and its top industries.
In this session, we'll define what manufacturing is and highlight how it has evolved into what it looks like today. We'll explore some of the top manufacturing industries, identify each by the type of industry it is and how each reacts to other industries in the sector. We'll wrap up the session by outlining some of the common standards and certifications required for some of manufacturing's top industries to meet regulations
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Can't make it on Nov 14?
This webinar will be recorded and sent to all attendees and absentees.
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- Assemblers
- CNC Machinists
- CNC Operators
- Inspectors (J-STD preferred)
- Manufacturing Technicians
- Welders
- Welder Fitter
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PMG is scheduling virtual presentations with technical schools and military bases across the nation. Our goal is to increase awareness about what we do, the job opportunities we have, and the growing demand for technical skills in manufacturing.
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PMG, Inc.| 1-866-522-6701| www.pmgservices.com
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