What does it take to run a manufacturing plant producing around 50,000 parts every day? For Dan Walker, one of the biggest challenges isn’t production capacity. It’s finding and developing skilled people.
In this episode of Maintenance & Manufacturing Insights, Martin Engster talks with Dan Walker, Plant Manager for Mako International in Shelby Township, Michigan.
Dan oversees a 331,000-square-foot facility with 46 molding machines, 112 pieces of secondary equipment, and approximately 340 employees. The facility produces injection-molded interior components, including parts used in the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator.
Dan explains how automation has changed the skills manufacturers need. His facility uses robotics, sonic welders, vibration welders, heat staking equipment, and camera systems. Keeping that equipment running requires skilled maintenance technicians, process technicians, and automation professionals.
Finding those people isn’t easy.
Dan shares how his plant is responding by developing talent from within. Working with Macomb Community College, the company has created apprenticeship opportunities in areas where skilled employees are especially difficult to find.
For Dan, developing people is personal. He started as a machine operator more than 40 years ago and worked his way through the ranks to plant manager. Now he wants to give other employees the opportunity to build their own careers.
Martin and Dan also discuss why skilled trades can provide strong career opportunities for young people entering the workforce. From electrical and hydraulics to HVAC, maintenance, and automation, Dan believes learning practical skills can create opportunities almost anywhere.
Outside the plant, Dan enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, motorcycles, and training his hunting dog. He also teaches hunter safety and helps introduce younger generations to the outdoors.
About Dan Walker
Dan Walker is a Plant Manager for Mako International in Shelby Township, Michigan. His manufacturing career began as a machine operator, and over more than four decades he worked his way into plant leadership. Dan is passionate about developing employees, creating career opportunities, and building the next generation of skilled manufacturing professionals.
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