Today we want to share someone who has pioneered her own path in the industry and at MacDonald-Miller. Tammy VanAntwerp joined MacMiller in 2010 as a front desk administrator, grew into a shop administrative role, then was promoted in 2016 to Production Admin Manager. In that time, she was involved in several Lean Process Improvement projects across the organization. Her positive, can-do attitude made her a great change agent throughout the years. In 2017 she began training for a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in an effort to increase her knowledge and deepen our bench of Lean subject matter experts. She received her Black Belt certification in 2018, then was promoted to a brand new role to the organization – Lean Champion!
Tammy VanAntwerp – Lean Champion
Working in the construction industry was not a conscious decision. The opportunity presented itself and I followed. Along the way I fell in love with the creative side of construction, taking an empty space and making it into something useful.
How was the Lean Champion position created? At a company of our size, there can be delays in implementing and sustaining Lean Initiatives. Yet, with our rapid growth there was a recognized need for a dedicated Lean employee who could ensure the momentum of the latest (and greatest) Lean Initiatives to nurture and grow the culture of Lean across the organization.
One of my favorite benefits as the Lean Champion for MacDonald-Miller is the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the company. I love making connections between departments and investigating how we can all work better together. Eliminating wasteful process steps and improving the quality of the workflow is so rewarding both for the people participating in the process and for the customer receiving the final product. My creative right brain loves brainstorming and mapping the processes while my left brain loves analyzing and testing new ideas.
MacMiller is unique in so many great ways. The most important to me is the support and opportunity for career growth and education provided to employees. I also have to mention how fun it is to work here – MacFest holiday party, Mac90 employee appreciation happy hours with corn hole competitions, and the list goes on! We have amazing culture.
I would tell new employees to take advantage of MacTed and to not be afraid to ask questions! Being curious about the company and about why we do what we do will improve you as an employee and ultimately improve the company.
To hear more from women in the construction industry, read more here.
