16 March 2023
Employee Spotlight: Miguel Martinez
Weidmann is a global leader in electrical insulation and engineering, providing innovative solutions to the power industry. The company is built on the expertise and dedication of its employees, like Miguel, who has been with Weidmann for over two decades. In this Employee Spotlight, we dive deep into Miguel’s role as the Logistics & Import/Export Manager for the Americas Region, his career growth at Weidmann, and what he finds fascinating about the company.
Hi Miguel, please can you tell us what your role is at Weidmann, what it involves, and how long you have worked with the company?
Hi – I am the Logistics & Import/Export Manager for the Americas Region. I’ve been working for Weidmann for 22 years. The primary function of my role is to provide strategic and tactical operations support for the company’s logistic needs.
Did you start in this position when you first joined Weidmann?
No, originally, I started as a machine operator in Framingham, MA. The plant in Framingham closed some years ago when Weidmann invested in building a new paper center of excellence in Urbana, Ohio.
It sounds like your career has certainly developed and changed at Weidmann. How would you describe that experience?
It certainly has! I’ve had the opportunity to work at Weidmann for 22 years, holding several roles and participating in various projects while attending college. Weidmann has helped me build a strong career foundation by supporting my education, enabling me to achieve an Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree. Furthermore, Weidmann supported me in pursuing additional Lean Six Sigma training and becoming a Lean Sigma Black Belt – skills and training that I can put to good use in my daily work.
Additionally, I was fortunate to participate in the “TAPA” business leadership program last year, which offered educational support to define the firm’s future by fostering pride, trust, and accountability. My education and training have equipped me to contribute to the organization’s business expansion and have enabled me to communicate with people at all levels.
Weidmann has facilities all around the world. Have you had the opportunity to travel and experience work in other regions?
Yes, I have traveled to Canada, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico to meet colleagues and customers to support project initiatives as we work to continually improve service levels. These trips allowed me to understand our customers’ requirements better, discuss service expectations, and generally get a better feeling regarding their impression of Weidmann.
It is clear from these opportunities to meet customers that we have a strong reputation in the market, but to maintain that, we must continue to improve and adapt our offering to meet market needs.
Since the pandemic in 2020, my role has become much more challenging – as most people would be aware, supply chain became a very hot topic, and ensuring we did the best we could for our customers, managing their expectations, and keeping communication channels open was essential for protecting supply. I believe that working together with our customers through such a challenging period further strengthened our relationships. We developed a mutual respect for how we all worked together to deliver for our industry.
What do you find interesting about Weidmann?
The products and services that I am involved with daily go around the world, typically to transformer manufacturers, operators, or service companies – that part I understand. However, what I find incredibly interesting is the fact that the same insulation, once installed in a transformer, can be a key part of supplying electricity, impacting so many lives once deployed in the field. Insulation is the life of the transformer, and that same insulation that I work with daily, in 20 years, can still supply energy to a major city, hospital, or sports stadium somewhere in the world. That blows my mind!
What do you do to relax when not at work?
If I’m not spending time with my family, you will find me on my PC enjoying computer programming (or trying to learn!).
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today!