Meet Creighton, FM’s Heat Transfer Production Manager in Gordonsville, VA. Creighton joined the FM team in April 2022.
Creighton was promoted to HT Production Manager in early April of 2023. This role encompasses responsibility for HT Production, Pit Crew, Ink, Bindery, DTF departments, and maintenance and facilities duties.
In his prior role at FM, Creighton made a significant impact as R&D Engineer, focusing on equipment and process improvement in the Screen department. He also was a primary contributor to the preparation and launch of the DTF department which remains under his management.
Before joining the FM team in 2022, Creighton retired from the U.S. Navy, where he built an impressive resume serving on nuclear submarines, working in naval intelligence, and managing thousands of U.S. Navy sailors throughout his career.
We are excited for Creighton to share his combined experience as part of the FM leadership team!
What’s the day-to-day of your role like?
The day-to-day is different every day. My biggest thing is reviewing how yesterday went to prepare us for today and how we can improve on that. What goals did we accomplish yesterday and how do we improve and have less waste? That’s my biggest daily task: working out efficiency and waste reduction.
What makes you want to stay at our organization?
This company has a vision of growing with the market and trying to figure out what the future holds. We ask “How can we revolutionize the industry?” We have a forethought and vision to take FM to the next level. Our whole team is dedicated to defining and achieving that “next level”.
Can you tell us a few details about the favorite part of your job?
It all comes back to coaching team members and watching the team grow. The company puts a lot of trust in me and I go home knowing I make a difference, not only for FM but for the members who work here.
Tell us the most significant project you’ve handled and how it has impacted our company.
Adjusting from the military sector to the commercial sector. I retired on September 30, 2022, from the Navy. I’m getting used to a different set of rules and am learning protocols for personnel in my new role. I’ve come a long way very quickly. I also bring a lot of military tactical and strategic methods to the company.
What have been your biggest accomplishments on our team?
Quickly learning all of the company's processes and being able to identify areas of improvement. Being down on ground level and getting to know the people who are the heart of FM, and be able to enhance their work life, either through incorporating smoother processes or coaching how to handle certain situations. This has greatly helped me accelerate my career here and provide that mentality at a much broader level.
I’ve been here for one year, from an hourly worker to managing all of the production. I started stretching in screens and then looking at the screen room. Then I put a flow together for that and we started saving water and materials and moved to R&D, where I helped on the press floor. Then from there I shifted to production manager and took on DTF.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself continuing to enhance or integrate new product lines and providing a welcoming cultural environment for our employees.
Do you have any strategies for dealing with stress at work?
Remember it’s not always on you— ask for help when appropriate and believe you are capable of handling it. You must rely, trust, and believe in yourself. I usually take a step back usually and review the whole situation and create a plan that moves me forward to get through.
What methods do you use to stay motivated and focused?
Watching people grow. I do a lot of coaching to hopefully better personal lives and work lives when they come in. Have a broader picture of how you impact what you’re in. Watching people grow professionally and personally is the biggest motivational factor for me.
What’s something that you’ve always wanted to try or learn?
Skydiving one day!
What’s something surprising that not many people know about you?
I have 30,000 Hot Wheels cars! I’ve been collecting them since 1995 and am creating a database and website now for my collection.
