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Profile of Team Member – William Adams

Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the transportation industry, believes that “Building an exceptional company is the result of building exceptional teams with exceptional people.” Team 1 has been and continues to be a successful company because of exceptional people – its Team Members. Today continues a series of articles profiling Team 1 Plastics’ Team Members. Each month, you’ll be introduced to one of these exceptional Team Members, including William (Will) Adams.

Name: William (Will) Adams

Position: Machine Specialist II

Date of Hire: 6/6/2011

Other Positions Held / Length of Each: Production Assistant – 1 year; Quality Assistant – 1 year; Die Setter – 2 years

Favorite Story / Memory during Time Working at Team 1: Will’s favorite memory occurred about three years ago at a Team 1 Plastics Christmas party. The party was held at a bowling alley, so, of course, bowling was one of the evening’s activities. Laughing at the memory, Will said that he “threw like five gutter balls in a row.” He admits to not being a good bowler, “but that was unusual.” And, he said that his teammates did a good job of teasing him about the gutter balls. “Charles was on my team, and he had a couple of good rips in there!”

How has Team 1 helped your Personal and/or Professional Development? Will said that Team 1 Plastics is currently paying for him to go to school at RMTC (Regional Manufacturing Technology Center) for Machine Electrical training. When he has completed the schooling, he will have earned an Associates in Applied Sciences degree. “I work four 10-hour shifts, and I have Wednesdays off to go to class. The training helps me in my current position as Electrician for the shop. It helps me on my day-to-day projects.” Team 1 has also sent Will to both Chicago and Cleveland for Maintenance Training on the Sodick and Sumitomo brands of injection molding presses.

Favorite Aspect of Working at Team 1: “I like the people here,” Will said. “It’s one of the best working environments that I’ve ever been in.” And, he added that the flexibility that Team 1 gives him in adjusting his work hours “is definitely helping me out in the schooling aspect. They give me the freedom to take days off when I need to, like if I have a doctor’s appointment. They’ll let me take off a day, and then make it up later in the week.”

What do you want to share about your life outside of Team 1? “I like to tinker around.” Will said that he has always been interested in fixing things, even as a boy. “I’ve got a Jeep that’s in the garage right now that I’m building up for Silver Lake. It’ll be kinda like a dune buggy.”

Piece of Advice and/or Encouragement for Future Team 1 Team Members: “Whenever Team 1 has training programs coming up, always apply for them.” That’s the piece of advice that Will would give to a future Team Member, and it’s advice that he has followed. “That’s how I got the position that I’m in. I went through the Maintenance training program.” Will said that he had also gone through the Die Setter training program before he held that position. And, he even did the Process Tech training program. But, the Maintenance Department is where Will feels most comfortable and thinks he will stay, because “I’ve always worked on things. It’s nice that you get a sense of accomplishment when you’ve finished repairing something.”

Random Question: What is the Best color of M&M’s? and why? “Blue! Because,” Will said laughing, “It’s my favorite color!”