Many years ago, I was a bank teller in the Phoenix area when a Dunn-Edwards plant manager (who, coincidentally, lived across the street from where I grew up in Mesa) asked if I wanted to work for him. I’d had another rotten day at the bank, so I jumped at the opportunity. I started two weeks later and never looked back.

The plant manager recognized that I was a hard worker and he assured me that there was room to grow. I’ve been a hand filler and batch maker, worked in maintenance, and eventually worked my way up to Quality Control Manager. Throughout my 31 years here, I have always felt that my work is appreciated, not only by my coworkers and supervisors — but by Ken Edwards, three CEOs, and several vice presidents.

On a typical day, I drive to the plant and work out at our on-site gym. Afterward, I get to my desk to sort emails, update the quality control data and attend a production meeting. From there, I spend my day on various QC and improvement projects such as plant hygiene, right-first-time, and red-tag processes.