VISTA Today asks Joanne Fitzgerald, Director of Human Capital at Acero Precision based in West Chester, to share what her company looks for in an applicant and a few tips on applying for an open position and getting hired in Chester County – Acero Precision style.

Vista Today: Tell me about Acero Precision:

Joanne Fitzgerald: Acero precision is an Original Equipments Manufacturer (OEM) that provides high tolerance, close precision manufacturing services. We are celebrating our 30^th anniversary this year and we are proud to say that since 1985 we have expanded to 85 employees. We have customers all around the world and are one of the few American companies shipping products to China.

Our focus is on four industries: medical devices, motorsport, industrial, and life sciences equipment. We are ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified, but our differentiator is the caliber of people that we employ. We pride our selves on the fact that we have 85 dedicated employees whose goals are aligned with what our name stands for: the utmost precision, accuracy, and quality. This is not only embodied in our products but also in the standards that our employees hold for themselves personally and professionally.

Additionally, we are building a 100,000 sq. ft facility with 60,000 sq. ft of a state-of-the art manufacturing production floor located in West Chester, PA. The completion date is set for December 2015.

VT: What makes working at Acero unique?

JF: As I had mentioned, our employees are some of the most talented and skilled individuals in the manufacturing workforce. That, combined with the latest technology, and quality systems make Acero an incredible place to work. We find that bringing these three resources together can have a great effect on the environment created for our employees. Each individual who works for Acero can have the impact that they want to see within our company as well as beyond our walls and work schedules. Not only is this because they are all performing tasks that grow and expand our business but also because, as owners, Michael and I have made it our top priority to cultivate a sustainable organization.

We have worked to establish an open door policy with all of our employees. We open up communication throughout all levels of employment by taking the time to listen to their ideas and needs. This helps us to both respond to the needs of our customers and the needs of our employees. Many times our employees have the ability to sense improvements that can affect them as well as the customers we serve every day.

VT: How many people are you hiring this year?

JF: Acero is not only in the midst of a physical expansion into a new facility, but is also in the middle of an economical expansion. We hope to find new talent to join our growing business. This means we expect to hire 15 to 20 people by the end of the year.

VT: What kinds of positions are you typically looking to fill?

JF: At any given time we have CNC programmers and machinist positions open. We are also looking to hire quality assurance roving inspectors, a laser etch administrator, assemblers, and maintenance technicians. We are actively looking for a full-time trainer to help launch Acero University that will provide on the job training for our new and experienced employees.

VT: What qualities do you look for in an applicant?

JF: Our employees are individuals who fit culturally within our teams. This means candidates who have a strong work ethic, are mathematically and mechanically inclined, are passionate about manufacturing, are problem solvers, innovators, and those who work well both individually and in teams. Our employees represent Acero proudly by keeping a professional uniform, demand of themselves the best work, and do not hesitate to put in necessary effort. This is because we are proud of our employees as much as they pride themselves on reaching personal excellence and the satisfaction they receive from knowing that our customers are only receiving the best product possible. They have a sense of ownership and commitment to their work.

VT: What kind of educational background are you looking for in a client?

JF: Many of our positions require a four-year college degree or experience in technical high schools and colleges. It is more important to us however that our candidates be able to fulfill the personal requirements that our employees demonstrate each and every day. If they can embody these characteristics, we are more than happy to provide them with training needed to be successful.

VT: Tell me more about Acero University?

JF: Acero Univeristy is an internal training program we are currently developing to help young manufacturers gain knowledge and experience for their careers. We are looking to enhance the caliber of American manufacturing by providing training that is open to our employees. They may take advantage of these courses to advance their knowledge and experience.

VT: If someone is interested in working at Acero where should they look to see what jobs are open?

JF: They can visit our career page. We also utilize Indeed as well as LinkedIn and Twitter to publicize openings. It’s pretty easy to find us.

VT: What makes a candidate stand out in an initial review of an application?

JF: Someone who has hands-on experience in our type of manufacturing environment gets our attentions even if it’s in a completely different industry. Auto mechanics or carpenters, for instance, make wonderful machinists because they’ve tinkered their entire lives. Their experience is something that we look for when first screening our candidates, each position requires a unique skill set and we are looking to see if a candidate has this experience or can be trained by adapting transferable skills.

VT: How does a candidate apply?

JF: Candidates can send a resume and cover letter to recruiting@aceroprecision.com or they can go to our career page and submit their resume that way. We look at every qualified resume and application submitted.