Megan Tzanoukakis started her career in accounting, but was ready for change. Opportunity came her way through Sussex IM. However, the position was not in the accounting field. She started out in Operations and is now the Vice President of Supply Chain.

Megan talks to Brad & Steve about change, how the generations need to work together and understand each other, the future of manufacturing and recycling in the manufacturing industry.

Episode Highlights

06:00 - Megan's love of operations and finding better faster ways to do things.

07:20 - Why the younger generations can't come into a company and just think they can change things. They need to understand why things are done a certain way.

15:45 - Blue Collar businesses need to work closely with high schools so they can tap into the talent and expose the next generation to the possibilities of manufacturing as a career path.

22:20 - The push for recycled material and the future of chemical recycling.

Contact your hosts:

Steve Doyle:

Website

LinkedIn

Email

Brad Herda:

Website

LinkedIn

Email

Megan Tzanoukakis

Website

LinkedIn

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

doyle]: 00:00:02

welcome back to the show brand heard of blue color b s coming at you

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with a heavy on the b s today

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but

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how are you doing

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heavy

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today brad

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business solutions be business

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yes

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solutions

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heavy on the business solution

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that's correct

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how you doing

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it is

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today

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a fantastic friday afternoon here in the blue color b s studios and snow is

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coming it's the middle of october and there was snow up north there was an

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inch of snow at one of my clients facilities up around superior he's like

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yes there

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yea

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is out there

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not not excited about that oh

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yeah buddy

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not excited but

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buddy it's gonna go

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yes

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heavily impact your golf game but you know that's what they make yellow balls for

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right yeah and tomorrow morning when we see off it's supposed to be thirty three

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degrees with a real field of twenty eight

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in wrong

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sorry i'm

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no

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just

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no not doing it

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but you don't need to

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not

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you do

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do

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not

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it

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need to

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not doing that so

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yea

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brad who do we have on the show today

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so today we have with us

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a

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one of the people that i've gotten to know over the last three to five

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years or so through the local community that we live in in sussex here is

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the vice president f supply chain is probably one of our largest local employers um

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sussex i am injection moulding it's been different names different things that's a great company

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that supports our community i'm going to butcher the name because there's this tea in

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front

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he

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of her name that we're going to ignore so we're gonna try it we're gonna

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try it megan megan zanacoccis close

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good job brad

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can do it

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i am really depressed

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you can do

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yeah

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it

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oh

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you can do it

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there's that

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no

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te sitting right in front

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welcome

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of it and

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megan

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it

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yeah

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just doesn't do any good yeah

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something

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yeah

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well for you passed the first test brad so

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perfect

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thank you

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oh

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now

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thanks

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we know

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for having me on

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yeah

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the show

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now we know your

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yeah

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test as we talked about before recording your test is to outdo paul giles so

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be

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at

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on your

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that is very hard to live up to i don't know if i don't know

tzanoukakis]: 00:02:12

if i can do it but

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i'm confident

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give

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you

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it a good try

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i know you can you're much smarter than he is

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a

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oh

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i didn't

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h

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say it

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i

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all

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wow

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did

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fall

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i did

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get

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yeah

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then with zingers with people aren't

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yeah

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here that's a great

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hey

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that's

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past

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great

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uh

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guest of the show

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so

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paul

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mean

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as a past

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before

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guest

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we

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of the show it's okay

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yeah beautiful

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right

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friend

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so mean before we

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ah

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get into the before we get into the show let's just quickly identify which generation

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do you fit in with

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oh

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so i identify as a millennial as everyone will tell me i am definitely a

tzanoukakis]: 00:02:47

millennial

herda]: 00:02:48

yeah

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yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:02:49

told often you are a millennial

doyle]: 00:02:50

yeah

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i know

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yeah

herda]: 00:02:52

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:02:53

yeah

doyle]: 00:02:54

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:02:54

to

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and why do you

doyle]: 00:02:56

that's

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why

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awesome

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do you think they do that

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:00

well i think it's my lack of patients for things

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oh yah

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:08

i need to continuously

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h

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:09

improve a lot the i love to use technology

herda]: 00:03:11

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:14

stream line to make things better i also look a lot younger than i actually

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:20

am so i might be called gen d at some point though okay

doyle]: 00:03:25

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:25

it it has

herda]: 00:03:29

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:29

happened but

doyle]: 00:03:31

oh

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fine with me

doyle]: 00:03:34

yeah that's awesome

herda]: 00:03:36

yeah so making things better

doyle]: 00:03:39

that's awesome

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using technology how has that impacted your you know your career path into your supply

herda]: 00:03:46

chain world as well as even within your own organization right being the millennial female

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leader inside your organization how has that journey been for you

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:57

yeah so my journey started actually

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i

tzanoukakis]: 00:03:59

i went to college for accounting so brand knows i love my spread sheets um

herda]: 00:04:05

yeah

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and that's really the path that i thought i would take

herda]: 00:04:08

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:09

for my entire life as i worked in the big four public accounting for four

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:12

years i travelled i audited i worked very long hours and i learned a lot

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:20

but at some

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yeah

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point you know i knew that i couldn't i couldn't do that forever and so

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my father is actually one of the owners of sussex i am and he approached

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me after i had been in public accounting for a while and said if you

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:37

want to come into manufacturing i have a job for you um and i thought

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:42

it would be in accounting you know what might

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surprise

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agree with it yeah and

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yeah

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and he says no i want

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yeah

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you to be in manufacturing scheduling

herda]: 00:04:51

oh

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and i said i don't even know what that is

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it's numbers

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:56

so

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in a

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oh

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different format that's all

tzanoukakis]: 00:04:59

um so i showed up the first day in dress pants

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okay

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and foreign heels walking the shop floor

doyle]: 00:05:09

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:05:09

having absolutely no idea what i got myself into

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thanks dad

tzanoukakis]: 00:05:14

like

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thanks for letting me know

tzanoukakis]: 00:05:16

yeah it was it was eye opening

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oh

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i had always loved manufacturing when

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yes

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i was in when i was in accounting and auditing i audited manufacturing companies and

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i went to physical inventories

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yeah

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and i learned about all these different companies in hell i do things and it

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was a really good crash coursing and the accounting side of manufacturing dark side of

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operations and manufacturing

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ye

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was very new to me

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the

tzanoukakis]: 00:05:45

um

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dark side

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is the dark side and i love it

herda]: 00:05:50

oh

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i love it i have people that

doyle]: 00:05:51

it

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call clients dilate you just love the chaos

doyle]: 00:05:54

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:05:55

i'm like i do

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yeah

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i thrive on the chaos i thrive on making things better and continuously improving and

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:03

finding better faster ways to to do the job

doyle]: 00:06:08

yeah

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no no

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:08

um

herda]: 00:06:09

no

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and

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no no mean you get slow down that's the way we've always done it

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:13

it

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yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:13

uh

herda]: 00:06:15

just

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yeah

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exactly

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:19

as

doyle]: 00:06:19

oh

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a

herda]: 00:06:19

for those that can't see the anger

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:21

waiting

doyle]: 00:06:21

ah

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more

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for those that can't see the anger coming

doyle]: 00:06:24

ah

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out of her face right now

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:25

yeah

herda]: 00:06:25

in her ears there's like steam coming out going

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so

doyle]: 00:06:31

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:31

for for my first several years here i just soaked in those

herda]: 00:06:36

yeah

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words right i learned i understood our processes and the longer i was here the

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:41

more i could methodically understand like okay this is why we do it i understand

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why it doesn't mean it's the best way right so but i do think there

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is a as milennials and gen s you can't just come in blazing with i

tzanoukakis]: 00:06:59

want to fix all these problems right

herda]: 00:07:02

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:02

there is a rhyme or reason why things have been done that way you have

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to step back and understand that and say okay i get it now can we

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use the system two solve that problem right to make it faster to make it

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more efficient but

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yeah

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if you don't understand where we came from and how we got there it's really

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:25

hard to make those changes and have people accept them

herda]: 00:07:29

s really great advice for somebody as young as you are oh yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:35

i've come up to a lot of i mean

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oh

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i've made mistakes let's not say

herda]: 00:07:39

oh

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i happened

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we've all made mistakes trust me and

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:41

right

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you and i i've made lots of mistakes

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right right

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:44

yeah

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every day

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but i learned from them

doyle]: 00:07:47

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:47

right and i know the people and i know i know how much they can

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:52

handle as far as change is concerned in a certain period of time but we

tzanoukakis]: 00:07:57

have come a very long way and we have a lot a lot further to

tzanoukakis]: 00:08:01

go but we are making a lot of progress which is really exciting and it

tzanoukakis]: 00:08:07

makes coming to work really fun

herda]: 00:08:08

that's awesome

tzanoukakis]: 00:08:11

hm to

doyle]: 00:08:13

very cool so how have

herda]: 00:08:15

yeh

doyle]: 00:08:16

so being we would say the younger of the of the groups and you focus

doyle]: 00:08:24

on continuous improvement how would you say the change was met when you first started

doyle]: 00:08:29

versus how it's going now you've introduced change

tzanoukakis]: 00:08:33

yeah it was when i first started i've been here about eight years it was

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very difficult one of my co workers will will say it was like one person

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waving the white flag and then we had two people waving the white flag and

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then three people and it's really hard to change when there's not as many people

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on your side right not that there's sides but not as many people

doyle]: 00:09:03

hm

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:03

embracing it and helping you you can't do it alone it's teamwork it's collaboration

doyle]: 00:09:08

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:09

so over the years

doyle]: 00:09:12

her

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we've hired a lot of new people that have that continuous improvement mindset that have

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come from other moulders in the area that have used our rope software and and

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:23

some of like the two s that we already have they've used been using

doyle]: 00:09:27

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:28

them and use them better so we've been able to use that knowledge to improve

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:32

our organization and grow

doyle]: 00:09:34

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:35

our or core group of people who are really trying to implement change so that

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:42

it's not just one person because it can't you can't do it you can't

herda]: 00:09:46

no

doyle]: 00:09:47

right

herda]: 00:09:47

no no it

doyle]: 00:09:47

i

herda]: 00:09:47

gets really tired tiring

doyle]: 00:09:49

yeah

herda]: 00:09:49

and it gets really

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:50

ah

herda]: 00:09:50

frustrating and it just that's part of the reason why my hair isn't where it

herda]: 00:09:55

is anymore either yeah oh

doyle]: 00:09:57

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:09:58

no you can't do it alone

herda]: 00:09:59

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:00

like it's like your family you it takes a village

herda]: 00:10:03

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:05

you all have

doyle]: 00:10:05

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:05

to be rowing in the same direction and we are we are there and just

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:10

we just keep rolling every day so

doyle]: 00:10:14

cool so when you are starting out with the with the changes because we're a

doyle]: 00:10:20

generational show so we're going to ask this question of was there a specific genera

doyle]: 00:10:26

tion that you would meet

herda]: 00:10:27

yeah

doyle]: 00:10:27

that would be more resistant to change you first started out

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:34

yeah i mean all of the boomers are always resistant to change

herda]: 00:10:38

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:38

and they will tell you this is

doyle]: 00:10:40

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:41

they will

herda]: 00:10:41

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:41

tell you they're not that's the funniest

herda]: 00:10:43

yes

doyle]: 00:10:44

oh

herda]: 00:10:44

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:44

part

herda]: 00:10:44

they will

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:44

they will tell me

doyle]: 00:10:46

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:46

i really want to

herda]: 00:10:47

oh

doyle]: 00:10:47

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:47

change but and then they'll give all their reasons why right and that's but that's

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:54

why i go back to there's a reason why they've been doing things that way

tzanoukakis]: 00:10:59

for thirty years right

doyle]: 00:11:01

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:02

thirty years ago it wasn't grong it was probably the best way to do things

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:07

we just weren't as focus as a culture on changing things or improving them on

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:15

a regular basis so they didn't see the extent of change and the the amount

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:22

of change that kind of our generation is throwing on them all at once

herda]: 00:11:28

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:28

no

herda]: 00:11:29

oh

doyle]: 00:11:29

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:29

so i think i think milennials are more adapt and flexible to change just because

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:36

we grew up with a lot of change and we are okay with it so

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:42

but i understand where they're

doyle]: 00:11:43

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:43

coming from

herda]: 00:11:45

this is

doyle]: 00:11:46

oh

herda]: 00:11:46

this

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:46

so

herda]: 00:11:46

is a really great idea megan however why don't you have bob do that instead

herda]: 00:11:50

of me could you do that because i really like what i'm doing let's just

herda]: 00:11:54

do it this way one last time we'll

tzanoukakis]: 00:11:56

do

herda]: 00:11:56

do it this way and then we'll make that change later one last time just

herda]: 00:11:59

one last time we'll do it this way

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:02

yeah

doyle]: 00:12:03

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:03

that that is hard that's

doyle]: 00:12:05

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:05

a

herda]: 00:12:06

yeah

doyle]: 00:12:07

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:07

that becomes very difficult right and i think the that's kind of where you can't

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:14

be one person

doyle]: 00:12:14

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:14

right

herda]: 00:12:15

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:16

it's a team and everyone on the team is going to migrate to this no

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:22

new way of doing things there's always going to be those outliers but most of

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:28

the time they will come around once they understand the value of the change and

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:33

they understand that it's not this isn't just more work for me there's a reason

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:37

and it's

doyle]: 00:12:37

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:38

all in how it's presented right if you don't present it if you don't tell

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:42

them why

doyle]: 00:12:42

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:43

we're doing it or what the benefit is or how it can help them it

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:49

makes them a lot it's much harder to buy in i would feel the same

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:52

way if someone did that to me so you got to present it in the

tzanoukakis]: 00:12:57

right way

herda]: 00:12:59

on a spread sheet

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:03

no

herda]: 00:13:03

yeah

doyle]: 00:13:04

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:04

that's the one thing

herda]: 00:13:05

sir

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:05

praties are not

herda]: 00:13:06

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:06

good for

doyle]: 00:13:08

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:08

that's a power point

herda]: 00:13:10

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:10

and our discussion

herda]: 00:13:12

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:12

oh

doyle]: 00:13:13

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:14

oh

herda]: 00:13:17

so i

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:17

you heard it from me do not cure everything

herda]: 00:13:20

okay we're gonna hold you that

doyle]: 00:13:21

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:22

yeah

doyle]: 00:13:23

yeah

herda]: 00:13:23

m

doyle]: 00:13:24

uh

tzanoukakis]: 00:13:24

man didn't know

doyle]: 00:13:25

ah

herda]: 00:13:25

as you guys have

doyle]: 00:13:25

yeah

herda]: 00:13:25

grown and you and the business has grown and you've gone through changes over the

herda]: 00:13:31

last i mean ship i've been out here in this area for twenty some years

herda]: 00:13:36

and that organization has changed dramatically over those twenty years and you've only been there

herda]: 00:13:41

you've been part of that eight how or what are you doing to bring in

herda]: 00:13:49

the gens kids that twenty five and younger crowd how are you guys attracting and

herda]: 00:13:53

retaining or what what tactics are you using that are successful that you can share

herda]: 00:13:57

with our audience and what things have you tried just didn't work and it was

herda]: 00:14:01

a complete waste of time and money

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:06

yeah so that is a really hard question because we're still

herda]: 00:14:10

we do on this highly

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:12

trying to

herda]: 00:14:13

highly

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:13

be

herda]: 00:14:13

highly

doyle]: 00:14:13

it's

herda]: 00:14:14

powerful journalistic type show here that we have

doyle]: 00:14:16

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:18

now

doyle]: 00:14:18

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:19

i wish

herda]: 00:14:19

tens

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:19

someone

herda]: 00:14:19

of

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:19

would

herda]: 00:14:19

people

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:20

give

herda]: 00:14:20

are

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:20

me the

herda]: 00:14:20

out there

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:20

seat

herda]: 00:14:20

wondering what that answer is going to be

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:24

yeah i mean we

herda]: 00:14:25

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:25

um have

doyle]: 00:14:27

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:27

just been discussing getting in much you know

herda]: 00:14:29

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:30

closer contact with the local schools because

herda]: 00:14:34

to

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:35

one

herda]: 00:14:35

one

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:35

thing that gens

herda]: 00:14:38

i

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:38

i really like about gens is that they don't

herda]: 00:14:40

don't oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:42

all just want to go to college because they've been told they need to go

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:46

to college and that is huge because

herda]: 00:14:49

because

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:50

in my

doyle]: 00:14:50

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:50

generation in the millennials we were all i mean everyone

herda]: 00:14:53

every one

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:54

i know we just went to college it

herda]: 00:14:55

and

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:55

didn't

herda]: 00:14:55

go

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:56

matter if you

herda]: 00:14:56

and

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:56

knew

herda]: 00:14:56

got your

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:56

it

herda]: 00:14:56

masters

tzanoukakis]: 00:14:59

yeah i mean and you wrecked up all this debt for career you didn't even

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:04

know what you were going into right or something that didn't necessarily need that four

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:10

year degree so gens is much more logical and they're thinking about what do i

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:19

really want to do if i don't really want to need to go to college

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:22

right now i'm not going to i'm going to work or i'm going o do

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:24

a trade or something or get my come any to pay for that extra schooling

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:31

um instead

doyle]: 00:15:32

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:32

of incurring that debt myself so that is really it important for the future of

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:40

manufacturing

herda]: 00:15:42

huh

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:42

um and we are going to be working

doyle]: 00:15:45

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:45

closer with the technical like the tech ed and the robotic and those groups within

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:53

the local high schools because we have a lot of automation and robotics on our

tzanoukakis]: 00:15:59

shop floor which are very good paying jobs and hands on and if we can

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:06

get those kids into our facility to see what we're doing earlier

herda]: 00:16:10

ye

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:11

in their lives i think it will really to fit them and us mutually to

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:18

to just talk to those kids earlier and have them understanding what we're doing manufacturing

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:24

it's not dirty it's not it's not what you think of it it's very technical

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:28

it's very scientific and we made cool stuff so

herda]: 00:16:33

he

doyle]: 00:16:33

it

herda]: 00:16:33

makes some really cool

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:34

we

herda]: 00:16:34

stuff

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:34

know that until you come here

herda]: 00:16:36

right

doyle]: 00:16:36

see oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:37

ah

herda]: 00:16:38

m lids

doyle]: 00:16:38

yeah oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:40

yeah i mean it's

doyle]: 00:16:41

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:41

all consumer products you would see

herda]: 00:16:43

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:44

out there in the world and you have no idea that they're

doyle]: 00:16:45

m

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:45

made in sussex wisconsin pretty neat

doyle]: 00:16:50

m m

tzanoukakis]: 00:16:51

hm

herda]: 00:16:51

it is very cool when

doyle]: 00:16:52

oh

herda]: 00:16:53

the first time i saw your display at the chamber office and i saw all

herda]: 00:16:56

the things that were on there and the first time i was in the conference

herda]: 00:16:59

room with looking at all the cosmetic stuff and cosmetic cases all those other things

herda]: 00:17:03

like never would have guessed coming

doyle]: 00:17:07

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:07

yeah

herda]: 00:17:07

up because because i don't when you drive by you don't see all the things

herda]: 00:17:11

you don't see how big the building is you just see the front entrance sort

herda]: 00:17:14

of and like okay oh this is all coming out

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:16

yeah

herda]: 00:17:16

of here very very cool

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:18

yeah we're tucked we're tucked away behind a lot of

herda]: 00:17:20

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:21

trees and foliage you never know you never know how big

doyle]: 00:17:25

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:25

we are

herda]: 00:17:25

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:26

that's okay though we like we like to be a little under the radar sometimes

herda]: 00:17:31

um m so you know kind

doyle]: 00:17:34

oh

herda]: 00:17:34

of going back to that way we've always done it scenario right so you've come

herda]: 00:17:39

into the organization i spent eight years had to go through those boomers to get

herda]: 00:17:44

them to understand what's got to happen now of a sudden this twenty five year

herda]: 00:17:49

old twenty two year old comes in and says hey megan why are you doing

herda]: 00:17:56

it

tzanoukakis]: 00:17:56

oh

herda]: 00:17:56

this way how are how are you going to take that on and react and

herda]: 00:18:03

deal with that because it's the next thing that's coming through um m

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:08

hm

herda]: 00:18:08

to face

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:09

ah

doyle]: 00:18:10

oh

herda]: 00:18:11

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:11

so

doyle]: 00:18:11

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:11

i have i have had that

doyle]: 00:18:12

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:12

happen and i've been like we're not going to do that we tried that and

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:17

it didn't work and i stabbed myself

herda]: 00:18:19

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:19

and i'm

doyle]: 00:18:19

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:19

like oh my god

doyle]: 00:18:22

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:22

ah

herda]: 00:18:24

shand i sound like my

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:24

like

herda]: 00:18:24

father

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:25

i

doyle]: 00:18:25

h

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:25

do

doyle]: 00:18:25

yes

herda]: 00:18:25

damn it

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:27

it has happened

doyle]: 00:18:28

a

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:28

several times and i will stop

herda]: 00:18:30

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:30

myself and be like i am not that person if you have an idea

doyle]: 00:18:34

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:34

i would love to hear it

herda]: 00:18:35

yeah

doyle]: 00:18:35

yeah

herda]: 00:18:36

just not right

doyle]: 00:18:37

yeah

herda]: 00:18:37

now

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:39

well and

doyle]: 00:18:39

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:39

you know what i don't

herda]: 00:18:42

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:42

i don't

doyle]: 00:18:42

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:42

have a problem with if you have a suggestion for a better way to do

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:45

something

herda]: 00:18:46

my

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:46

or an improvement

herda]: 00:18:48

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:49

i'm all for it my problem is that i've been told this several times

herda]: 00:18:55

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:55

i'm not good at delegating

herda]: 00:18:57

really

tzanoukakis]: 00:18:57

so someone comes to me with a problem

herda]: 00:18:59

uh

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:00

i will take

herda]: 00:19:00

uh

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:00

it on and i will do it and the reason why i say that to

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:04

them is because i'm essentially like they'll come to with an idea and then it's

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:09

my problem so if somebody else has an awesome idea and they want to do

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:13

it have at it but i can't take on those

herda]: 00:19:17

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:18

projects anymore um because it used to be my job that's all i would do

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:23

and i loved it and it's hard to it's hard to not do that i

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:28

am not that person i a problem solver i c a problem i want to

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:32

fix it

herda]: 00:19:34

yah

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:34

and it is that

doyle]: 00:19:35

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:35

is hard for me so

herda]: 00:19:36

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:36

i've had to really restrain myself from from solving

doyle]: 00:19:40

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:41

everybody else's problems if they want to do it have ad it you know

doyle]: 00:19:47

nice

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:47

i'll be here to support you and guide you but i just can't i can't

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:50

do it all

herda]: 00:19:53

i've raised enough white flag that

doyle]: 00:19:54

oh

herda]: 00:19:54

i can't do it any more you

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:57

i

doyle]: 00:19:57

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:19:57

mean it's not to say i won't help and i'm not still doing that it's

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:01

just no at some point people have great ideas and i love to hear them

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:08

um at some point i can't just do them all by myself

herda]: 00:20:14

correct

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:14

that's why we have a team that's why we have a group of people that

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:17

were mentoring and bringing up and learning so they can continuously improve in solve those

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:23

problems and we have we have a very good team here oh yeah proud of

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:28

them

doyle]: 00:20:31

very cool what would you say to any millennial that millennial or gens that's looking

doyle]: 00:20:41

um at blue color work what advice would you give them support there to support

doyle]: 00:20:48

their interest yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:20:51

i would say to not judge a book by its cover so manufacturing plastics just

doyle]: 00:21:01

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:01

doesn't get the best reputation right for whatever

herda]: 00:21:04

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:04

reason it's dirty

herda]: 00:21:06

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:06

it's not good for the environment what have you right

herda]: 00:21:08

oh

doyle]: 00:21:08

m

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:09

and to really come into a company and see the complexity of what we're doing

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:16

we're making products in the united states for the united states and we are we

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:22

are a core piller and the g d p of the united states we're providing

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:28

jobs for four hundred plus employes here in sussex i mean we are very important

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:34

to the economy and we're making something tangible i can see i can walk out

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:41

to the shop floor and i can i can see it go from pellet into

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:45

the machine into a plastic part that's going to be on a store shelf or

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:50

in your home some day and there is nothing cooler than doing that or you

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:56

know my dad taking us to wall

doyle]: 00:21:57

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:21:57

greens and showing us the compacts that he made or he designed

herda]: 00:22:02

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:02

twenty years ago

herda]: 00:22:03

uh

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:04

like

herda]: 00:22:04

uh

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:04

you had

doyle]: 00:22:05

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:05

so much

herda]: 00:22:05

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:05

pride in that and it gave me and my siblings that same pride um and

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:11

it's it's just really cool and there's not a lot of a lot of jobs

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:15

you're not don't get this tangible feeling of like i made this i i did

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:22

something to make this

herda]: 00:22:23

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:23

um that's that's the best part and i think until you're in manufacturing you just

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:31

you don't see that side of it oh

herda]: 00:22:34

rightly

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:34

it's really fun

herda]: 00:22:35

yes there is nothing better than

doyle]: 00:22:37

oh

herda]: 00:22:38

then seeing something start as one thing that nobody can in vision and shows up

herda]: 00:22:43

as something else right you had made a comment about you know it's not dark

herda]: 00:22:47

not you know he dark dirty dangerous but you also made something about not good

herda]: 00:22:50

for the environment

doyle]: 00:22:52

m

herda]: 00:22:52

maybe you know this answer maybe you don't but what since you are in a

herda]: 00:22:55

plastic organization what are you

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:57

how

herda]: 00:22:57

seeing

tzanoukakis]: 00:22:57

do you

herda]: 00:22:58

in your industry for the the ability to

doyle]: 00:23:04

oh

herda]: 00:23:04

find recycled materials be able to make

doyle]: 00:23:08

oh

herda]: 00:23:08

new products from as well as what

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:10

yeah

herda]: 00:23:10

are you doing to take your flash and other things to potentially be recycled or

herda]: 00:23:15

repurposed or be used within the facility or turned into few or what are you

herda]: 00:23:19

guys doing in your space to facilitate that

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:22

hm yeah so there's a couple of different things so obviously there's a big push

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:29

from a lot of our customers to use recycled material

herda]: 00:23:32

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:32

right whether it's post consumer recycled or post industrial recycle material within there products the

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:42

issue with that sometimes can be that every lot of material is different from a

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:48

processing

doyle]: 00:23:48

m

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:49

perspective if you want perfect parts that have no

doyle]: 00:23:53

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:53

cosmetic um you know issues

herda]: 00:23:57

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:23:57

that they process perfectly they have very tight tolerances for quality that can be very

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:03

difficult with recycle material there's also not a lot of it in the world

herda]: 00:24:09

right

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:09

know i mean it's it's a nitch area right now and

doyle]: 00:24:12

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:12

there's just you're not going to find millions and millions nd pounds of it because

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:16

the infrastructure is not there or for the recytling um so that's so that's one

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:24

piece of it the second piece of it is that m

doyle]: 00:24:28

a

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:28

chemical recycling is kind of the next wave over cycling where

herda]: 00:24:31

hm

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:31

they would be able to take or scrap your re grind that sort of thing

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:37

or a or plastic parts that would go into a land fill and chemically recycled

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:43

them back to the virgin pellet

herda]: 00:24:45

wow

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:46

that is that is

doyle]: 00:24:47

mhm

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:47

coming but it will be many years

doyle]: 00:24:49

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:49

because the infrastructure again is not there i mean you need these massive companies to

tzanoukakis]: 00:24:55

be able to fineries to be able to do that but but it's coming it

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:00

will just be a while right now

doyle]: 00:25:02

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:02

we use as we grind up all of our

doyle]: 00:25:06

it

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:06

re grind and use it back into our molding process as long as the process

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:12

is capable and the customer allows it and then anything else is sold to m

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:18

companies that by re grind and

doyle]: 00:25:20

ye

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:21

turn it into two other things so nothing goes into a land fill from the

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:26

from the grinding perspective

herda]: 00:25:27

very cool

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:28

um so it is it's a circular it's becoming more circular and we our company

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:35

we are endurable goods we do very very very little single use plastic

herda]: 00:25:41

okay

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:41

um and that's and that's something we

doyle]: 00:25:44

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:45

when we're looking for new customers

herda]: 00:25:47

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:47

that's something we prioritize is durable

herda]: 00:25:49

you're

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:49

good

herda]: 00:25:49

not in so you're not doing the knives and forks and spoons for your plastic

herda]: 00:25:53

nice forks

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:54

no

herda]: 00:25:54

moon type stuff

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:55

no

herda]: 00:25:56

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:56

no not

doyle]: 00:25:57

new

tzanoukakis]: 00:25:57

unless unless they can

herda]: 00:25:59

solo

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:00

be

herda]: 00:26:00

cup

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:00

a

herda]: 00:26:00

solo cups no

doyle]: 00:26:01

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:01

poslabout

herda]: 00:26:03

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:03

something yeah

herda]: 00:26:04

so so

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:05

athos

herda]: 00:26:06

so megan how does a young person or even an older person that says hey

herda]: 00:26:11

you know what this is pretty cool this sounds good you guys are doing what

herda]: 00:26:14

you need to do for the environment you're growing doing these things how would somebody

herda]: 00:26:17

get a hold of you or sussex i am

doyle]: 00:26:19

oh

herda]: 00:26:19

if they have interest in talking more or finding

doyle]: 00:26:22

oh

herda]: 00:26:22

out what opportunities might exist there

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:25

yeah so i would say email me

doyle]: 00:26:30

no

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:30

um look me up and linked in

herda]: 00:26:33

so what would

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:33

we

herda]: 00:26:33

that

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:33

have him

herda]: 00:26:34

what would that email be because this is a we're seeing each other

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:37

you want

herda]: 00:26:38

with

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:38

me

herda]: 00:26:38

the

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:38

to

herda]: 00:26:38

folks

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:38

spell out my email for you

herda]: 00:26:40

the folk that are listening can't see what we see

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:44

yeah

herda]: 00:26:45

it's an audio

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:46

okay

herda]: 00:26:46

show

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:47

want me you want me to

herda]: 00:26:48

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:48

spell it out for you

herda]: 00:26:49

well or we can say hey you know we'll put it in the show notes

herda]: 00:26:52

how about that because it is it is a

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:54

yeah

herda]: 00:26:54

lot of letters

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:54

put it in the show up because if i spell it for you people are

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:58

just going to

herda]: 00:26:59

yeah

tzanoukakis]: 00:26:59

it's going to get messed up

herda]: 00:27:00

it is

doyle]: 00:27:02

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:02

but i would say if someone's interested

herda]: 00:27:04

ah

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:05

email me i love to chat i'm really big on on especially more women in

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:12

the manufacturing

doyle]: 00:27:13

yes

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:13

industry there are not enough of us and the ones that are the ones we

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:18

have are amazing and we just need more of them

herda]: 00:27:21

completely

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:22

so

herda]: 00:27:22

agree

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:22

i'd love to chat any time

doyle]: 00:27:24

yes olly agree there

herda]: 00:27:26

all

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:26

yeah

herda]: 00:27:26

right so this wasn't so bad was was it pushing you outside your comfort

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:30

no

herda]: 00:27:31

one

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:31

this one's fun

herda]: 00:27:32

this was fun so you'd come

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:33

i

herda]: 00:27:33

back

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:33

liked

herda]: 00:27:33

again

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:33

it sure as long as you want me

herda]: 00:27:38

so yeah what would be great is to get you and dad on the same

herda]: 00:27:41

thing will talk about some fun stuff

doyle]: 00:27:44

yea

herda]: 00:27:45

talk about

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:45

oh

herda]: 00:27:46

talk about vacation we'll talk about

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:48

oh

herda]: 00:27:48

you know

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:49

a

herda]: 00:27:49

p t o and all those fun things

doyle]: 00:27:50

yeah

herda]: 00:27:50

that dad probably not excited about

tzanoukakis]: 00:27:55

hey i'm sure he would be on i think he would be open to it

herda]: 00:27:57

i think it would be too that's why i think it would be fun so

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:01

ah i

herda]: 00:28:01

now

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:01

think

herda]: 00:28:01

that you know how painless

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:02

i think he

herda]: 00:28:02

it is we can make that happen all right

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:05

yeah this was fun

herda]: 00:28:06

awesome

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:07

be down for that

herda]: 00:28:08

all right cool you

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:09

we

herda]: 00:28:09

have a great rest of your week and we will talk to you

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:12

thank

herda]: 00:28:12

soon

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:12

you

herda]: 00:28:12

megan

doyle]: 00:28:13

oh

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:14

you to thanks guys have a nice weekend

doyle]: 00:28:15

yes

herda]: 00:28:15

thanks

tzanoukakis]: 00:28:17

i

herda]: 00:28:19

and