Ethan Austin

Profile of Team Member – Ethan Austin

“Building an exceptional company is the result of building exceptional teams with exceptional people.”

Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the mobility industry, has been and continues to be a successful company because of our exceptional team.  Today, we will introduce one of these exceptional people, Ethan Austin, as we continue a series of articles profiling our team members.

Name: Ethan Austin

Current Position: Tool Maintenance Specialist

Date of Hire: 8/20/2020

What is your favorite story or memory during your time working at Team 1?
In the Summer of 2021, Ethan remembers taking part in a golf outing organized by his Maintenance Captain, Andy Zblewski.  The outing has been a major annual fundraising event for the Albion Historical Society for 20 years, and Team 1 has been a key sponsor for the past 11 years.  Ethan shared how much fun it was “just playing golf all day” with his fellow team members Jadon Austin, Anthony Merringer, and Craig Clem.

How has Team 1 helped your personal and/or professional development?
Ethan was quick to respond by saying, “Before Team 1, I worked at Little Caesar’s.  Joining Team 1 gave me a direction in life; somewhere to go and something to do.”  Though still unsure in what direction he wants his career to go, Ethan is confident that Team 1 has made a positive impact on his work ethic.  Additionally, he highlights that “Team 1 has been helping me through classes at RMTC.”  The Regional Manufacturing Technology Center, or RMTC for short, is a technology-based center run by Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek.  With Team 1’s Tuition Reimbursement Program, Ethan has been able to attend classes at the RMTC at no cost to him, as long as he passes his classes and stays employed with the company.  He agrees this program has allowed him to “apply knowledge from my classes immediately to what I am doing at work.”

What is your favorite aspect of working at Team 1?
“I never feel rushed whenever I am working.  I get to work at my own pace, which gives me more motivation.”   Ethan assures that sometimes there are jobs that need done quickly, but for the most part his supervisor Andy has made it easy to work at a comfortable pace, ultimately making the job more enjoyable.

What do you want to share about your life outside of Team 1?
Ethan was happy to share his love of cars.  “I love everything about cars; the mechanics, the look, mostly sports cars.”  When asked if he has ever assembled a model car, he was disappointed to say that he has not, but did admit to having quite an extensive collection of Hot Wheels cars.  Although he has never attended a car show, he has been to the Gilmore Car Museum just northeast of Kalamazoo, saying “that place is really cool.”

Do you have any advice and/or encouragement for future Team 1 team members?
Ethan reiterates the importance of taking advantage of Team 1’s Tuition Reimbursement Program.  “I have learned so much through a healthy mix between classes and on-the-job experience.”  He agrees that this is a huge benefit to working at Team 1 and should be utilized by anyone that wants to further their career.

Now for a totally random question:
If you hit the lottery, what is the first thing you would purchase with your winnings?
It was easy to predict that Ethan’s first purchase would be a sports car.  “I have a lot of dream cars, but if I had to pick one it would be a sunset-orange 1993 Nissan Skyline,” just like the one pictured here.