Last week, we had the honor of celebrating Pierce Griffin’s 20 years of employment at General Die Casters. In his 2 decades with General Die Casters, he continually strives for excellence and has become a pillar in the stock department. Hear Griffin’s take on his career at General Die Casters, plans for the future, and advice to people starting their manufacturing careers.

Griffin began his career at General Die Casters working third shift at the Peninsula plant in the stock department. After 9.5 years, he moved to second shift at the Twinsburg plant where he remains today. Due to Griffin’s seniority, he could have easily moved to first shift, which is seen as a coveted spot by most employees. However, Griffin has grown to love his second shift schedule and the flexibility it brings him.

 “Honestly, I’m not a morning person. I love to take my time and drink my coffee in the morning. By the time I go to work in the afternoon, I’m focused and ready to work”, says Griffin. 

Griffin has seen many changes throughout his 20 years at General Die Casters from personnel changes to process improvements. However, Griffin credits one constant for keeping him at General Die casters all these years--the company culture.

“I worked at 2 manufacturing companies before General Die Casters. What has made me stay this long is the fact that management has always been so good to me. I have remained loyal to this company because I want to support the company and people who have provided me with stability and a good living for so many years.”

Griffin’s work ethic and devotion to his company are qualities his coworkers admire about him most. He takes pride in consistently raising the bar and exceeding expectations.

“I sleep well at night because I know that I do everything I can to help this company. If the first shift doesn’t finish their work, I don’t begrudge them and complete those tasks. I do what I need to do to make sure we meet our goals. When the company succeeds, we all succeed.”

When asked where he gets his strong work ethic, he credited his father. 

“My dad had my twin brother and me working since we were 10 years old. We would paint houses and mow lawns with him when we weren’t in school. He instilled in me early on the importance of working hard because nothing will ever be handed to you. You’ve got to work for it”

At 69 years old, Griffin shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

“People keep asking me when I’m going to stop working. I always tell them that I can’t sit at home. I like working. It gives me a greater purpose.”

Griffin is just one example at General Die Casters that with hard work and dedication, you can have a successful career in manufacturing. When asked about a takeaway he would give to a young person launching their career in manufacturing, he gave the following advice:

“Don’t go from job to job if you’ve found a company that respects you. Trust me, the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else. Stay put and build yourself up. I make a good living here, I have the opportunity for overtime, and I get 5 weeks of vacation. I wouldn’t have gotten to this point if I was constantly switching jobs.” 

At General Die Casters, we are proud that our employees see their work as both a job and a passion. Interested in a new career? We’re hiring at General Die Casters.  Contact us below to apply.