Demo

Machine Operator - Day Shift - Extrusion Line

Highland Plastics
Shepherd, MI Full Time
POSTED ON 3/20/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/20/2025

***Important Info***

This application process has optional questions for you to answer as part of applying for the role. Candidates that offer full answers to the questions are much more likely to get hired - it is an easy way to show us that you make an effort and are genuinely interested in working for us.

Highland Plastics runs a 5-day, 24-hour operation and is recruiting for our day shift, 8am to 4pm. This is a full-time position. We primarily make sheets and rolls of material for the automotive industry, who then form it into car parts. HPI has been around for 30 years and has plans to grow significantly.

New hires will join on $18.50/hr. As an incentive to engage pro-actively with the training process, once you are able to independently operate a line you will get a raise to $20. You also receive entitlement to comprehensive benefits worth approximately $5/hr in addition to your base pay. As well as excellent health benefits we also provide fully-funded short and long term disability insurance as well as $50k life insurance. Evening and Night shift positions receive an additional $1000 per year in off-shift premium (paid quarterly) and all positions participate in semi-annual profit-sharing.

You will be trained to operate one of our Extrusion Lines. This is a hot and sweaty job that requires great attention to detail, problem-solving, and determination. In terms of physical requirements we employ people of every size, age and gender who successfully operate our lines, it comes down more to your appetite for hard work than any inherent physical strength. As an Operator you will be trained to:

  • Drive a forklift safely.
  • Disassemble, clean, and reassemble large industrial machinery that can weigh hundreds or thousands of pounds and be over 400F when you are handling it.
  • Start an extrusion line by carefully completing a pre-start checklist, including heat-tightening all seal faces, squaring all downstream equipment, setting all machine parameters to match the process guide, loading material into the line with a fork truck, and then carrying material up the line using a starter sheet.
  • Troubleshoot process disruptions and maintain the extruded product properties within the tolerances laid out on the inspection record. This means using your logical reasoning skills to determine the root cause of nonconformances and make adjustments to your equipment to bring the line back into equilibrium and therefore maintain production of conforming product.
  • Take Quality Control measurements of the product during production and record that on our Inspection Records. Attention to detail is essential - our customers have high standards and therefore so do we.
  • Package finished goods either by stacking sheet or winding rolls on our winders.
  • Granulate scrap material on the small production granulators during your shift and maintain a clean and safe working area for the shift coming in behind you.

We aim to have two Operators for each of our Extrusion Lines on a given shift, so you would be working as a team with other Operators to accomplish all of the above. All training is provided as on-the-job training from day 1.

Essential skills and experience:

This is a great job if you have experience working in other factories, because you will appreciate the positive aspects of having a diverse set of responsibilities and the freedom to make decisions. This role is a combination of what other companies might separate as Setup Crew, Machine Operator and Quality Tech. It suits people that don't like being bored at work. If you would rather stand in one place all night doing something simple and repetitive then this job might not be for you.

Reliable attendance and a strong work ethic are essential. Talent and intelligence makes a difference when it comes to running a line, but the best Operator is always the one that shows up for work. We cannot afford to carry people with poor attendance because extrusion is a continuous process that cannot easily be stopped and started. You need to show up to take over from the person before you, and hand over to the person after you.

Basic computer literacy is essential, since we will be asking everyone to use our computer system to log the work they are completing, record their quality checks, and generate barcodes for the material they are producing.

This is a great opportunity for someone looking for stability and long-term employment. We want to be the best company to work for in the area, and if you look after us then we will look after you.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $18.50 - $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee assistance program
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance

Schedule:

  • 8 hour shift
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday

Application Question(s):

  • When is the last time you felt a moment of pride in a work environment? What about the situation made you proud?
  • What would you consider to be your best attribute and how is it beneficial in a work setting?
  • Do you consider your job well done if it meets the minimum requirements?
  • What does being a part of a team mean to you?
  • You're on your way to work and your car breaks down a mile away. What do you do?
  • Would you consider working an Evening or Night shift instead?

Work Location: In person

Salary : $1,000

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