Q: How long have you been with Atlas?
Forty two years. I began my career at Atlas at just 18 years old. My first role was out in the shop operating the single punch press. Once we started evolving into automated machinery, I started running that initiative. After learning how to program those machines, I became the system administrator and managed all the computers. This gave me the chance to be hands-on in different areas, from the shop to the office.
I’ve evolved with the company, starting early on when they had paper files. I’ve always helped to grow and assist with implementing new processes and strategies to automate and refine current systems.
Q: Take us through your day-to-day. What does your role entail?
I help out in multiple areas of the business. I oversee all of the engineers and check the completed equipment to make sure it meets our QA standards and that it is ready for shipment. I also make sure everything coming in and going out is accurate to the order and confirm when orders are released to the shop that there isn’t anything missing.
I do have lots of machinery knowledge from years of hands-on experience putting them together and taking them apart, so I support my team with troubleshooting too.
Q: As your career has grown and you’ve been able to work in multiple departments within Atlas, are there any important lessons you’ve learned along the way?
I’ve learned patience is huge. And to treat people the way that you want to be treated. I believe that you should interact with people by meeting them on their level, and not treating them as if they should be on yours.
Q: Can you talk a bit about the “family” atmosphere at Atlas?
The values that our leaders foster in the company are unbelievable. They treat their employees like family, cultivating an extremely open, comfortable atmosphere. They inspire their employees to grow, while also inviting employees to make suggestions on how the company can improve. Their open-minded approach gives employees free rein to help make Atlas an even better company to work for.
I come into work over an hour earlier than I need to because it doesn’t feel like work. All this love and support is translated into the product because when you take pride in what you do, you make sure that every step is done right.
Q: How do you inspire your team to stay motivated and focused on producing such a high-quality product every day?
Well, I call my teammates coworkers, not employees. And I work side by side with them, guiding them through any issues or obstacles. When you work side by side to share knowledge and get the job done at a high level, that’s how a team grows and delivers quality.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges that your team has helped your clients solve over the past two years? How do you stay positive and focused through tough times?
The early onset of the pandemic definitely caused some operational challenges, but I’m proud that we were able to adjust our process and maintain our product quality the whole time.
Customer requests are also getting more varied and complex to meet the needs of today’s food service operations. So one of the biggest, and most fun, challenges is innovating with custom projects. For some of the more intricate orders, we sometimes need to adjust engineering processes and machinery to get the job done.
It’s honestly easy to be positive because of the overwhelming sense of pride I feel when custom projects are completed. It’s awesome seeing the finished product beautifully made and knowing that we made it over the hurdle and delivered for our customer.
Q: How do you help Atlas “Make Metal Personal”?
I build each product as if I want it for myself. I ask myself and demand that my team asks themselves the question, “Would I buy what I just made?” I also think it’s very important to be honest and differentiate between what works and what doesn’t work. I encourage our team to “give the end user your heart,” because I know this attitude works. It’s been my attitude for 40-plus years.
Q: What are your most meaningful moments as you look back on your career at Atlas? What are you excited about as you look forward?
Certainly, when my son, Dom Jr., was brought into the company as a system administrator, working with him and training him in his prior role, and then watching his career grow has been really special.
And then in general, I just have so much love for this company. The stability and family-oriented culture have helped me grow in so many ways.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to pass my knowledge on to someone else when I’m ready to retire. I just hope that they feel what I felt when I started and that they can enjoy a fulfilling journey.
Q: Is there anything you’d want to tell an Atlas customer or end user?
Because of the strong family environment here, people usually stay with this company for a long time. Our employees are surrounded with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which drives them to build a very high-quality product.
Every Atlas product is built to last. When a customer receives an Atlas product, they get our all. I often get calls from reps with questions about equipment that is 20 years old or more, which I’d like to think is a testament to our quality.
