Mark Reyes, our second shift Press Brake Supervisor, has always shown an entrepreneurial spirit. He started an internet gaming business out of his house when he was still in high school! Since that time, he has never stopped gaining new skills and knowledge and finding ways to apply them.

Hardware and Software
After graduating from a two-year computer technology program at the Lyceum of Subic Bay college in The Philippines, he found a position that allowed him to learn computers from the inside out. His first formal job was inspecting and sorting motherboards and PCB boards for re-use and repair. He also assisted in repairing those that could be salvaged. By this time he was also proficient with a number of software programs from Microsoft® and Adobe®, among others.

A New World and More New Skills
Moving to the United States in 2008, Mark entered the world of fabrication with a job as Press Brake Set Up Operator for a manufacturing company in Gurnee, Illinois. He quickly mastered the basics such as downloading programs and setting up the tools required for each job. He also perfected his skills and helped out operating spot welding, PEM, tapping, grinding and metal cutting equipment.

It wasn’t long before his talents and hard work were noticed by the management team and Mark was promoted to team leader for one of the track lines on third shift. When the company moved its base of operations to Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mark searched for another position closer to home. A co-worker told him about Laser Precision and he joined us in February of 2015.

Daily (and Nightly) Leadership
Mark is responsible for checking schedules and overseeing the completion of work orders for the second shift and also working in last minute priority orders. After printing the work schedule list and coordinating the nightly schedule, he gives it to the material handler and the specific press brake operator. He double checks the first formed part and personally inspects the last part. When satisfied with the quality level, he sends the batch on to other departments for processing. Of course, this is a greatly simplified version of all the activities that Mark handles on an actual shift.

The attention to detail and emphasis on quality at Laser Precision appeals to Mark. Seeing a piece of raw material take form into a functioning unit gives him great satisfaction. “The more difficult the part, the greater the sense of accomplishment,” he says. He also likes the great people he gets to work with. The regular workout he gets by lifting large, heavy parts is a bonus feature of his job.

Always Seeking a Better Way
Mark has been into continuous improvement as a person for his entire life, so he is always eager to develop new skills and find better ways to handle different elements of the Press Brake Department. For example, he noticed that pallet labels were being written by hand. He wrote a simple HTTP program that can scan each label so they can be cloned and printed. This small step is already saving the company time and money, not to mention mitigating errors caused by hard to read hand-written labels.

Off the Job Activities
When not at work, Mark enjoys spending time Googling new business ideas and listening to audiotapes by entrepreneurs such as “The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau. He jumps into the action himself when he sees an opportunity, such as when he bought commodities from liquidation and resold them on Amazon. He also built and sold websites for a while.

But Mark’s favorite pastime is spending time with his new bride, who he married just two years ago. You might say his latest set of skills is learning how to be a good husband! But, whether on the job or on his own time, Mark considers himself a “work in progress.” We can’t wait to see what new talents he develops next.