While studying to earn his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Southern Indiana, Skyler Davis worked part time as a material handler in a repack department, repackaging plastic from one packaging type to another.
"I became interested in the supply chain world of the plastics industry during this time. Through this process I knew that there were always pieces moving and knew I would enjoy trying to solve the puzzle on a daily basis," he said.
Davis joined Sabic in December 2021, he was promoted to senior analyst in August 2022, then he was promoted to manager of site supply chain in December 2023.
He completed a cost-out project that saved the company about $1.2 million and was awarded Cost-Out Team of the Quarter in March 2023.
One of Davis' current obstacles is inventory management across multiple areas within the site. "This is a team effort and takes several people to complete their portion of the process in order to be successful, so this can be challenging at times," he said.
Davis added that the pandemic changed the way office jobs are viewed, with working remotely becoming more of a preference or expectation. "This can be challenging for a team to build relationships as they do not get to see or interact with each other on a daily basis," he said.
"My biggest failure was making the mistake of not spending enough time with my team in previous roles. I was so worried about learning and absorbing all of the information I could personally that I sacrificed building relationships with people. However, the more experience that I got in being a manager, I learned that the best way to success is to build relationships with your team and help them succeed. If you take care of the people, the people will take care of the business," he said.
"My greatest achievement is helping my team meet their goals personally and professionally. I strive to complete this on a daily basis," Davis added.
Davis is active with helping the youth in his community by participating in Sabic's mentor program at West Elementary School in Mt. Vernon, Ind.; coaching multiple sports throughout the year, including baseball, basketball and football; and volunteering with Sabic's other community initiatives such as placing new mulch at playgrounds.
Asked what job he would like to have in the future, Davis said he likes to keep all opportunities open. "I am willing to learn and take on different roles to make the company successful," he said.
"The advice I would give someone that wants to join the plastics industry," Davis said, "is work hard and be willing to adapt your approach to make yourself and your team successful."