Joshua Snyder, 30
General Manager, Majors Plastics Inc.
Before signing up for a plastics engineering major at Ferris State University, Joshua Snyder job-shadowed at ADAC Automotive's engineering center.
"I was very drawn to the field; the concept of taking resin and transforming it into a saleable end product was fascinating to me. The thought of 'creating something from nothing' was very appealing," he said.
He ended up graduating from Ferris in Big Rapids, Mich., with a Bachelor of Science in plastics engineering technology and a minor in industrial practices.
"At the time, I had no idea what kind of opportunities were available to plastics engineers; I just thoroughly enjoyed the process of making plastics parts, and it led to a whole host of amazing opportunities for me, including being able to travel extensively across Europe, China and Mexico all while doing a job I love," he said.
Snyder has spearheaded a labor reduction project that required major layout changes to the plant and led to $1.1 million in annual labor savings. He's brought Tandem molding technology to production: "I didn't know of any other molder doing this in North America at the time." He pioneered and launched Mattec MES at two ADAC Automotive production sites.
He spent his time as senior molding manager in Mexico leading improvement projects and launching a greenfield 145,000-square-foot plant in León, Mexico.
"At this point in my career, I have been fortunate enough to work on very challenging projects that have ended with success, but I feel my time working in Mexico remains my greatest achievement. This experience was a great learning opportunity for me. Being in my 20s at the time I was doing this, I had to learn how to break through language barriers, learn how to develop a very strong inner circle that can help me implement my vision for the plants and also greatly develop my personal technical skills in engineering, product design, etc.," he said.
Snyder said the pandemic forced him to reevaluate what he was doing and why, so he decided it was time for a change, moving from Michigan to Nebraska during the early months of COVID-19. He joined Omaha, Neb.-based custom injection molder Majors Plastics Inc. in July 2020 as general manager, leading daily operations and strategic planning to four plant managers, operations and technical staff.
"There are many challenges right now for our business. We have continued to grow through COVID-19 and the challenges we are facing seem to be the same industrywide: labor and material shortages," Snyder said. "Omaha's unemployment rate is extremely low, and we are really fighting for hourly employees. Another difficulty is the supply chain struggles: shipment delays, higher costs and item shortages."
Snyder said the best thing about the plastics industry is "there is always something new to learn."
"There is never a shortage of issues to overcome," he said, "and this is what keeps me so engaged. I enjoy working with people who have many decades of experience in the industry and seeing that they are still learning new things. It excites me to know that the industry never gets stale."
Q: If you were CEO of a company, what would you do first?
Snyder: I believe we are in the midst of a major labor shift. Not only are we coming to a point where AI and automation is going to greatly impact the future of work, people in the workforce have also changed their expectations of what they want work to be. The workforce today is not the workforce of our grandparents; there is less desire for overtime hours and challenging jobs and more desire for dignity and flexibility.
I think it is crucial for CEOs and senior leaders to work hard to change the culture and environment in their companies to adjust for the new normal of our workforce. Smaller manufacturers can't always offer the highest pay, but I do believe they can offer good work environments. We can make it more enjoyable to come to work and create more of a welcoming feel and remove the old stigma of manufacturing being dark and dank sweatshops. And, ultimately, I believe by moving companies forward with a new mission to improve environment and culture, it will help drive productivity and efficiency improvements.
Q: What steps have you taken to advance in your career?
Snyder: I have planned my career meticulously since coming out of college. I have taken many steps to achieve my step goals. In order to truly achieve one's goals, it oftentimes requires stepping outside one's comfort zone. For me this has included moving to different states, working in Mexico, attending trainings and seminars, getting certifications, etc. I have always been up for a challenge that will help me grow as a leader in this industry.
Q: Who is your mentor or someone you look up to?
Snyder: I have been very fortunate to have great mentors along the way. My first real mentor was the corporate technical manager at ADAC Automotive named Craig Nedeau. He helped me learn strong technical skills and leadership skills. He's now retired, but we still keep in touch. My current mentor would be my current boss who is the vice president of operations, Jay Van Roy. We work very closely together to implement new projects and improvements at Majors.