Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 D E C E M B E R 9 , 2 0 1 9 F O C U S WO R K F O R C E D E V E L O P M E N T "If somebody wants to do this work, and they're older, they're here already," says Karabec. Its efforts appear to be paying off as reflected in a younger workforce, with a median age of 41.85 years — below the 44.9 U.S. median age of manufacturing workers. Travel, training and current openings Lanco Integrated's immediate hiring needs are for a controls programmer and global customer services manager. Karabec, who comes from an engi- neering background, says that software programmers are the hardest jobs to fill, and require a fair amount of training. He also says those jobs involve a lot of travel. He sees that as a draw for younger hires, along with the variety of the work. "We build 40 pieces of capital equip- ment in a year," he says. "Our customers use the same piece of capital equipment for 10 or 20 years. For somebody who likes to do this type of work, it's a con- stant new refresh." All new hires, regardless of depart- ment and position, are required to spend three to six months on the factory floor to gain a more well-rounded per- spective by starting "at the bottom," as Karabec puts it. "It was enlightening for sure," mechanical engineer Giovanna Patrizio says of her experience, "because we see our designs firsthand and you think, 'Ah, I will design that a little bit differently now." A 2015 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Patrizio moved to Maine for family reasons and landed at Lanco initially through a staffing agency before she was hired. She spent her first three months on the job at Lanco's Hong Kong division and now oversees global training that uses a wiki platform she's in the process of updating. "ere's a lot of experience here that is with people, and we're trying to dis- seminate that knowledge so it's not just in people's heads," says manufacturing manager Mitch Sanborn. Sanborn says there's also on-the-job training for engineers through a rotat- ing quarterly position in the factory, to "make sure that engineers talk to the technicians and vice versa." Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz YOU HAVE GREAT EMPLOYEES. NOW HELP THEM BECOME EVEN GREATER. Partner with Husson University to help your employees develop their skill sets through education. 1 COLLEGE CIRCLE, BANGOR, ME | 207.941.7000 | husson.edu BUSINESS | COMMUNICATIONS | COUNSELING | CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION | HEALTH | PHARMACY | SCIENCE & HUMANITIES | TECHNOLOGY For more information, contact Melissa Rosenberg, Director of Admissions rosenberg@husson.edu | 207.404.5660 (207) 783-0297 / www.simardandsons.com Petroleum System Experts Gas Stations / Marinas / Bulk Storage / Heating Oil • Petroleum Equipment Service • New System Design and Installation • Inspections and Compliance • Tank Removals • Tank Cleaning and Fuel Polishing Michael Tardiff Vice president of marketing, J.S. McCarthy Printers ( A U G U S T A / 2 0 0 E M P L O Y E E O W N E R S ) The sector's biggest workforce chal- lenge: "It is no secret that all busi- nesses struggle to find and retain a quality workforce, especially given the shortage of qualified trade school graduates. That being said, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage, train, and retain our multi- generational workforce with competitive benefits and incentives." J.S. McCarthy Printers' 2020 work- force goals: "We will continue to edu- cate our workforce about the benefits of employee ownership by fostering a culture of accountability." M A N U FAC T U R E R Q U I C K TA K E S We are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage, train and retain our multi-generational workforce with competitive benefits and incentives. — Michael Tardiff J.S. McCarthy Printers LEFT TO RIGHT: LEFT TO RIGHT: Jon Tardiff Jon Tardiff, Amy Tardiff Amy Tardiff, Matthew Tardiff Matthew Tardiff, and , and Michael Tardiff Michael Tardiff P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F J. S. M C C A R T H Y P R I N T E R S

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