Prompted Post #3 Interview of Field Member

Before my arrival at Michigan State University, I had not even heard of the degree packaging. My dad suggested that I look into it, given I was a soon-to-be college student with an undetermined major. He told me that Michigan State is one of the few schools that offers this degree, and also would frequently refer to a family friend of ours who graduated from Michigan State's School of Packaging, working a job that pays big bucks, and I mean big bucks. A degree varying in career paths and fairly promising of a well paying job is something that any indecisive freshmen, like me, would see interest in. Thanks to my dad and our ideally exampled family friend, I'm now almost a quarter of the way to graduating with a degree in packaging.

Who better to interview in this field than the man who inspired me to join it? Don Wallunas is his name, better known as one of the few chosen Plant Managers for Stephen Gould packaging materials and manufacturing. This man's career is impressive to say the least. Wallunas lives in Fremont, CA, working for the largest independent packaging and prints solutions company in the country....and did I mention he makes millions doing it? Thanks to my stepmom's close friendship with Don's sister, I was able to ask him a few questions about his everyday work, use of writing in his career, and misconceptions of manufacturing plants/plant managers.

As a plant manager, Wallunas summarily watches over and organizes the daily operations of the manufacturing plant. "I oversee employees, production and efficiency, and make sure everything is running smoothly, quickly, efficiently, and of course, safely"(Wallunas). Manufacturing plants are so occupied and frenzied, implying that the plant manager must be on his/her A-game at all times. Whether it be assigning, scheduling, hiring/training, or monitoring, Wallunas does numerous jobs that infer he is a very skilled person. During Don's stay at Michigan State, he worked to improve various skills necessary for his career: interpersonal, leadership, problem-solving, time management, and let's not forget a very important one - his writing skills.

Don happens to use writing in almost every task he faces at work. "Writing skills are paramount in this job. I am constantly writing up worker and production/shipping schedules, worker and product data, and constantly conversing with other plants, plant managers, or senior management by phone or email"(Wallunas). It would be suspected that math or science concepts would be used exceedingly more than writing skills in this type of career, but that's just one of the many misconceptions most people, even me, have about plant managers.

Another common misconception Wallunas mentioned was the stereotyping that most people have of manufacturers' jobs in general. He's no manufacturer, rather a plant manager, but this was seemingly important to him. The majority of people with little education about manufacturing plants assume that production teams are just a technical step in the making of a product or package. The technicians, especially ones who Don works with, are extremely educated about which models and designs will work best and which will not. "The best innovation is when design teams are integrated with production teams. Product designers can get feedback about the practical constraints involved in manufacturing and can fine-tune designs accordingly"(Wallunas). Manufacturers aren't just people who control machinery, they are idea-filled, innovative constructors.

After having the privilege of speaking with Don Wallunas, my view on this field has definitely been altered. I have a greater respect for plant managers because of their various responsibilities; I better understand the relevance of writing in packaging jobs; I look at manufacturers and their talents at a new, much higher level.

Sources Cited
Wallunas, Don. "Interview with Don Wallunas." Telephone interview. 13 Feb. 2016.