As the construction for the Ohio facility is well underway, Viega has also been eagerly building the Ohio team. We had the opportunity to sit down with Viega’s inaugural Ohio employee, Levar Bland, to learn about his background and his experience with Viega so far.
Tell us a little about your background.
I’ve worked in the rubber industry and for the railroad, so my background is pretty diverse. I’m used to being on the road for long stretches as well as on the factory floor keeping everything in check. I’m based out of Akron, Ohio, but with Viega, I live in Kansas for eight days and am in Ohio for six. I generally fly to McPherson on a Tuesday and fly back to Akron on a Wednesday, spend six days at home and then repeat the process. Once the Ohio facility is up and running, I will transition to working there full-time and visiting McPherson on an as-needed basis.
What does your day-to-day look like?
I’m a Tooling Technician, so I spend my days on the floor measuring and inspecting everything to ensure there is no damage and to keep production going smoothly. My team starts our shift by having a meeting with the previous shift to analyze any problems from the night before and to make our game plan for the day.
What do you enjoy about working for Viega?
The atmosphere – the people are very friendly and always willing to help. I feel comfortable speaking up with any needs or questions I have. A work environment like that makes everything very enjoyable and means the culture is good here.
Tell us about your experience with the Viega hiring process.
I was looking for a change of pace, which is how I found the role. We had an initial Teams meeting to talk. After that, the team invited me to fly out and visit the facility. I was impressed by the location and was eager to accept their offer. The onboarding process was very fast once I got started.
Would you recommend working at Viega?
Yes, I would. I am always telling my friends how different it is here. Coming to Viega, it is a huge change, with everything – from the atmosphere to the employees. Everybody is very friendly, and the higher-ups are always present, which makes a difference.
