Shining Star: Alexa McHone

WHAT DO LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT THE CARGILL FORT DODGE FACILITY

The people! The Cargill team in Fort Dodge is really special – the culture here is very team-oriented, process honoring, and focused on continuous improvement and pursuit of excellence in everything we do. I am very proud of our team and the many dedicated teammates I get to work with every day.

I also love the variety in what I do on a daily basis. I like to spend time in the plant, seeing the new projects or automation we are working on or talking with employees or contractors about how we can make work safer and easier. I enjoy interacting with community leaders about how Cargill can serve and give back to the community or about potential growth projects we are considering, and with other leaders across Cargill or industry to share best practices around safety, sustainability, and other important issues.

Sydney Pokorny

Fort Dodge Facility Manager

BEFORE TAKING OVER THE ROLE OF THE FACILITY MANAGER IN FORT DODGE, WHAT DID YOU DO?

I joined Cargill in January 2007 as a production engineer at the Cargill Blair, Neb. corn milling facility. I’ve held several roles in engineering and operations and had the opportunity to lead various operations teams across Cargill, from Cargill’s Health and Nutrition business to Ethanol, Wastewater Treatment, and the Mill at our Blair facility. I have a passion for driving continuous improvement in our operations; I am Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified and working towards achieving my LSS Black Belt and have mentored and worked to develop processes and culture around LSS, statistically supported decision making, and continuous improvement for many years.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE MANUFACTURING FIELD? WHAT DREW YOU TO THE INDUSTRY?

I studied Chemical Engineering in college because I enjoyed science, math, and technology growing up and wanted to apply those disciplines to make the world a better place. I grew up in the Midwest, appreciate agriculture and the Midwestern work ethic and love the pace and energy of a manufacturing environment. The science and technology around food, feed, and renewable fuel production is complex, interesting, and ever-advancing – working with Cargill and in food/feed manufacturing has given me the opportunity to learn something new every day and to apply the creativity and talent of our people to make products that are safe and reliable, in facilities that are safe and reliable.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU FEEL ARE MOST CRITICAL TO SUCCEEDING IN MANUFACTURING TODAY?

Flexibility, willingness to learn, valuing and working well with others, a desire to be part of a team and help that team succeed. The desire to have fun and create a positive atmosphere sure helps too! Manufacturing is similar to other industries – we have busy days and calm days, days that you get dirty, tired, and frustrated, and days that are really fun, rewarding, and energizing. At the end of the day it’s all about people, and there is a lot of opportunity in manufacturing to unlock great creativity and development in people regardless of their background or prior experience.