The day we strive for
Manager of strategic planning and resident engineer
Cogbill Construction LLC
I am the manager of strategic planning and resident engineer for Cogbill Construction LLC in Vidor, Texas. Our services include commercial and industrial construction, industrial services and support, and steel fabrication, among others. I am charged with propelling the company’s growth and expansion; improving quality, productivity and efficiency; reducing waste and operating expenses; and disseminating management skills as well as various industrial engineering principles and concepts.
My major accomplishments at Cogbill include reorganizing company infrastructure and redefining job responsibilities to increase employees’ agility and flexibility in adapting to daily market changes and fluctuations in demand. We also have instituted training and education programs so members can acquire a wider spectrum of skills and experiences, enabling them to work on a wide variety of assignments.
Staffers and craftsmen at Cogbill responded positively and participated in “Cogbill Academy,” an education program we crafted that allows them to exchange knowledge and experiences with each other. They also learn relevant principles of industrial engineering and lean manufacturing.
A perfect day for me is when I choose an area of improvement to tackle, be it an area of knowledge, a skill, a process or waste to eliminate. We then target that area by teaching each other what we know about it and train on the necessary equipment. Lengthy tasks or complex skills are divided up over a period of days or weeks. When trainees complete the “course,” certificates of completion are issued, and we share in the achievements.
My personal goal is to head a capable and progressive team that runs Cogbill Construction, while all of our staffers and craftsmen are well-versed in their skills, processes, the various concepts of industrial engineering and the lean style of management.
– Interview by David Brandt
David Brandt is the Web managing editor for IIE.