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Dan Ketchell believes in the famous quote: “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
As the plant manager of Cornerstone Building Brands’ Silver Line Windows and Doors in North Brunswick, he is a testament that pursuing a job in manufacturing will provide you with a fulfilling career. Ketchell started in the shipping department and worked his way up the corporate ladder over the past 40 accomplished years in the business.
“In this industry, you have to come in with an open mind plus a willingness to learn and you will succeed,” explained Ketchell. “It’s time to bring more awareness to the need for these careers in manufacturing.”
The job is much more that working on assembly lines or in packaging; it offers a wide variety of job opportunities from logistics and supply chain to engineering, computer technology and beyond. There is a growing need for people skilled in a trade career. Mechanics, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tool and die machinists all play key roles in manufacturing.
At its first-ever Manufacturing Day event on October 7, Ketchell showcased his passion for the industry to about 200 local middle and high school students who visited the North Brunswick plant for a tour, instructional activities and lunch, featuring some fun giveaways. Students were energetic and passionate about the opportunity to learn more about what really goes into making windows and patio doors.
As part of Cornerstone Building Brands, the team at the Silver Line plant follows four core values: safety, integrity, innovation and teamwork. Ketchell explains that teamwork is about building trust, not just about working well together.
“It is important in modern-day leadership to be transparent and explain the why’s and how’s,” he said. “The workforce is all about being more collaborative with the leadership team. It is my top priority to pass on my experience so others can be successful.”
Cornerstone Building Brands has more than 100 locations across North America including 29 window plants such as the Silver Line location in North Brunswick. Silver Line has been an integral part of manufacturing in Middlesex County for more than 50 years. After building a key relationship with The Home Depot in the 1990s, the North Brunswick plant supplies windows to the big box retailer at its locations from Maine to North Carolina.
“We have incredible longevity with our hourly employees, and I believe a lot of it has to do with the community that we create,” said Ketchell. “We connect with our workforce by promoting from within and we intentionally prioritize having a diverse leadership team.”
A sense of community among its workforce is just as important as community involvement outside of the plant. Thanks to the company’s involvement with the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturing Day 2022 was a tremendous success.
“Thank you to the Middlesex Chamber and its president, Lina, for partnering with us to make Manufacturing Day happen,” Ketchell said. “The chamber is a great connection and resource to help further our growth.”
Learn more about the company at cornerstonebuildingbrands.com and Silverline Windows and Doors at silverlinewindows.com.
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