Posted February 23, 2016
The textile industry needs more Joe Martins. If you’ve been involved in manufacturing for any length of time, you know Joe. He’s the perpetually learning, not-afraid-to-get-his-hands-dirty, quality-oriented, above-and-beyond, man-behind-the-curtain, exceptionally skilled technical guy/craftsman who gets things done – right. He's the glue in your shop or production facility.
And as long as he keeps doing his job right, it's easy for him to go unnoticed. Oh, you miss him when he’s on vacation, but you know he’ll be back next week and normalcy will resume. But what if he doesn’t return, just up and retires? That level of panic is setting in with many of the leaders I talk with as the industry continues to lose skilled personnel. And you can’t replace a lifetime of experience overnight. (Can I get an “amen?”)
Joe Martin is one of those blue-collar technical experts who knows his job like the back of his calloused hands. At Anderson Distributing/Textile Combs and Accessories, he calls himself a machinist – but company owner Bill Anderson Jr. calls him a “magician,” as noted in this week’s lead story on the firm, a longtime industry supplier.
Recently, I sat down with the two of them at their plant in Greensboro, N.C. From a customization standpoint, Martin is able to do things that some think are impossible, Anderson said. “I’m willing to try anything,” said Martin, 57. During our discussion of the company’s capabilities, Martin occasionally explained how he solved a customer’s issue or developed a solution to a problem.
“That can’t be replaced overnight,” Anderson said. “That’s 30 years of expertise talking.”
Not your average Joe
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And more often than not during the interview, Martin would add: “It’s pretty simple.” Maybe to him, but not to my non-technical ears.
Other than his vocational savvy and modesty, what amazed me about Martin was his attitude, which I’m sure has made him a valued employee for many years. You can tell he loves his job, loves solving problems and loves helping customers. In addition, he’s a stickler for high quality – in his work and in the products he makes, Anderson said. You mix skills and know-how with intangibles such as these and you may have the “perfect” employee.
Trouble is, enough Joe Martins aren’t coming into our facilities looking for a job every day. The skills gap is becoming a rapidly growing issue, as you well know. Several companies are working diligently to overcome this problem, as I’ll report in the coming weeks. But the obstacle has taken years to rise to this level and will take years to overcome.
Fortunately, we, as an industry aren’t ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away on its own. To compete and strengthen in the 21st century, we must continue to seek creative ways to target, place and train people for our high-tech industry and, in turn, do our part to bolster the middle class.
In the meantime: Don’t go, Joe.
JOE KNOWS COMBS: Joe Martin, resident 'magician' at Textile Combs & Accessories