Employee Spotlight: Debra Holeman
One of the things that makes The Fredericks Company great is our dedicated and highly valued employees who excel in various positions. Because we have such a great team, we’ve decided to highlight team members in our blog!
Today, we are shining the spotlight on Debra Holeman. Debra has been with The Fredericks Company since 2014. She is one of our highly skilled Production Associates, primarily responsible for manufacturing our Televac®️ cold cathode vacuum gauges like the 7B, 7E, 7F, and 7FCS cold cathodes along with the 7FCS quick start cold cathode. So, if you’ve purchased a cold cathode vacuum gauge from us, Debra will likely have made your vacuum gauge!
Read on to learn more about Debra Holeman:
What has changed since you started working with the company?
When I first started with The Fredericks Company, many manufacturing processes were manual, which was time-consuming and slowed down the turnaround time to get products out the door. Several years ago, Fredericks invested significantly in upgrading our manufacturing processes with automation and new, more efficient technology like our new nickel-plating system that makes the entire process much more streamlined.
What significant improvements have you seen at The Fredericks Company throughout your time here?
Fredericks has never stopped making improvements to keep our facility modern. For example, our work instructions have been converted to a digital format and are more accessible across the entire plant. In addition, with the new digitized system, it is easier to be cross-trained in many different processes in manufacturing our Televac®️ vacuum gauges, like our active vacuum gauges, thermocouples, and convection gauges.
What do you enjoy most about your position?
I’ve always enjoyed learning new things. Fredericks has always encouraged me to apply my knowledge to learn new techniques and apply my skills to make high-quality gauging equipment.
I also enjoy the people I work with. Everyone here is passionate about their work and takes pride in it. Several people have been with Fredericks for 35+ years and are committed to providing our customers with the best quality products and services.
What do you find most challenging about your role?
Every day may present a different challenge. For example, back in 2020 and 2021, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) came to us and ordered over 100 MX200 Vacuum Controllers with 200+ 7FCS Cold Cathode Vacuum Gauges. They had a strict deadline for their project. To meet their needs, we came together as a team, put together a robust production schedule, and maintained the schedule with on-time delivery for every stage of the order.
Before working at The Fredericks Company, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
For 27 years, I worked in an automotive manufacturing facility north of Philadelphia. I found it interesting how much work and time goes into building a car or an SUV. When I first started, I worked on the assembly line, but after several years, I was given the responsibility of working on higher-end components. I’ve applied the skills and knowledge from that position to the work that I do at Fredericks.
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