Nicole Kollman, Project Planner Coordinator, at BW Converting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, had a BW family before she joined the company.
“My uncle Mark worked here for several years,” Nicole said. “He really wanted me to apply and finally I did it and now I've been here, and I plan on staying until I retire!”
And her particular BW family has expanded even further.
“I actually have a significant other that works at the Ashland facility,” said Nicole. “He was working for a different company at the time, and he really didn't like it. I told him how much I loved my company, and I could give him a referral, so I referred him, and he started shortly after.”
At Barry-Wehmiller, we measure success by the way we touch the lives of others, and that is not limited to the confines of the 9-5 workday. Nicole’s decision to refer her significant other to the organization is a testament to that value. She cared for his wellbeing and wanted him to find the same fulfillment at work as she did.
BW Converting is Barry-Wehmiller's company that offers trusted brands and innovative technologies in the design, manufacture, and service of high-performance converting and packaging machinery for the tissue, nonwovens, hygiene, bag-converting, mailing and printing industries. It includes historic brands such as Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), Baldwin Technology Co., Winkler + Dünnebier (W+D), STAX Technologies, Hudson-Sharp, and Northern Engraving and Machine.
Nicole enjoys and excels at her job because she is very detail-oriented. Her morning routine consists of meeting with vendors dropping off parts, cross-checking them on her computer and organizing them in the stockroom for machine setup. Customers are involved throughout the entire process, and Nicole makes sure they are satisfied before the machines are shipped out. Once the machines find their new homes, field service technicians get them up and running smoothly.
“BW is not a company that's just here to kind of close the sale and give you the machine,” said Nicole. “We're definitely customer-oriented. How can we make their experience great while also making the team members' experience great?”
Nicole attributes much of her fulfillment at BW to the caring nature of her leaders, and that positivity extends into her life, long after the end of her workday.
“Since starting with BW, I have great leadership,” said Nicole. “I'm going home at night not stressed. They're making sure everything's manageable, and it's just a good place to be.”
Although Nicole is content with her current role, her leaders consistently check in with her to make sure she is feeling challenged enough to grow. Nicole started her BW journey in material handling, but she has aspirations to keep learning and advancing in the company.
“Every leader that you have wants to make sure that you're showing your full potential,” said Nicole. “So, they're willing to work hands-on with you to make sure that you're growing within the company and not just letting you figure it out yourself.”
While Nicole does work with industrial machinery, she views her responsibility as a BW team member as something much more. She is a member of a community enrichment committee, where she volunteers her time and helps donate to local organizations in the Green Bay area.
“We do things outside of just selling the machines,” said Nicole. “We help donate to outside places and we also volunteer time. We also try to make better for the world as well, so it's not just, ‘Hey, how can we get this machine out to do the fastest job? Let's get this machine out to do its job while also being healthy for the environment.’”
At Barry-Wehmiller, we imagine a society where we care for each other first. That’s making sure we are taking care of our people, our customers and our community, using the power of business to build a better world.
Better Work. Better World. is a video series designed to shine a
light on team members throughout the global Barry-Wehmiller
organization. Watch the video through the link above to hear more.