Kay Zimmerman is a senior production supervisor at the DRÄXLMAIER plant site in Duncan, S.C. Throughout her five years with the company, she has trained several employees on the shopfloor with a single mission: to turn the operators of today into the team leads of tomorrow. Teaching has always been her calling; now, the shopfloor is her classroom.

What led you to the automotive industry?

I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, but life happened. I got married and had children. But luckily, when I was in high school, students were taught lean manufacturing concepts. At an early age, I learned how to behave in a factory-like setting and understood the social and ergonomic factors behind this environment. That combined with my love for teaching led me to the shopfloors of many manufacturing and automotive companies.  

How have your past experiences helped you succeed at DRÄXLMAIER?

I've worked in both automotive and manufacturing for about 27 years, so that has definitely helped. But an experience that stands out the most is probably working at a union plant where all processes and controls are pretty much dictated by a contract. Working there taught me to treat people fairly and never be quick to judge. When I train employees, I always focus on developing social skills first because processes come easier when we concentrate on the human side of things.

How do you cultivate personal and professional growth within the organization?

Some of the proudest moments in my career have come from empowering the people I train. Being able to mold someone into the leader they are meant to become is satisfying. When I'm mentoring a team leader, I want them to learn skills that set them up for success as a supervisor. Eventually I'd like to retire and before I do, I want to set my mark. That mark will be teaching the future leaders of our production lines to be open to feedback and always treating everyone fairly.