Editor's Note: Throughout October in celebration of Manufacturing Day/Month, IndustryWeek's Faces of Manufacturing will share the stories of people with a passion for manufacturing.  

Charles Thomas 

City/State of Residence: Lexington, Kentucky 

What does your job entail?

I'm a team lead over in residential fans. Day to day, that means making sure my teams got what they need, keeping the lines moving, and stepping in when something goes sideways. I've got a few lines right now — the Haiku 84, the ES6 and the ES6 Turbo — and here pretty soon I'll be taking over the combined Mammoth and Bison line too. 

The way it works is we build the fan, then we run it and test it to make sure it does what it's supposed to and passes every safety check. Then we take it back apart, box it up and send it out to the customer. Yeah, we build the whole thing and then take it apart again. That's how you know it's right.

I also work alongside every other line in the department, not just mine. 

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What is the most interesting part of your job? Your proudest moment?

Honestly, the most interesting part is just coming in every day. I know that sounds simple, but I mean it. I like the hours, I like the people, I like the work. It's light industrial, so I'm not going home beat down. I've still got something left in the tank after my shift. A lot of that is just being glad to walk in the door. 

Proudest moment, I've got two. 

The first is making team lead. I started here as a temp in the warehouse. Went full time, worked my way up. I'm still learning something every day, and I'm not done. 

The second is being picked as an ambassador. The program started a couple of years ago, and there's only a handful of us. They pick you based on your work ethic, how much you get done and how you get along with everybody across our facilities. We lead the tours — customers, partners, other manufacturers coming through — and show them how we design the fans, how we build them, how we put them together. We're also working on new perks and bonuses and benefits for the folks who work here. 

When I started, I did not like getting up in front of people. Now it's just part of who I am. We had a big tour come through not long ago, and I stood there explaining what we do and what I do, and I was proud of it. Since then, I've become the spokesperson for all our ambassadors. That might be my proudest moment of all. 

What do you love about manufacturing?

Putting things together. I've loved that since I was a kid. It's something to watch a fan come together, all those parts and colors turning into one finished product. Everybody ought to come see our fans sometime. They're pretty neat. 

What advice would you give to kids considering a job in manufacturing?

Show up. Pay attention. Follow the procedures and put safety ahead of everything. Your work ethic matters. If you're still in high school, start looking at what kinds of manufacturing are out there. Figure out what you like and what you don't, then work backwards from there: where to start, what classes to take, what skills to learn. 

My grandson's seven. He plays football, and he gets a kick out of seeing our fans out on the field at practice. He'll ask me, "Is that one of the fans you helped build, Granddad?" If you'd take pride in something like that, this is worth a look. 

What advice would you give to manufacturers to help increase kids' interest in manufacturing as a career choice?

Show them what you make. Real things that people actually use, that actually help somebody. Then tell them about the rest of it — the hours, the people, the benefits, getting to work with your hands. That's why I'm happy to talk about my job. 

If I'd gone this route right out of high school, I might be further up by now. But it wouldn't change the best part, which is being happy where I work. That's the side of it manufacturers need to show people.