Karen Espina, Senior Quality Engineer

My job is essentially to make sure the customer gets what they order. This incorporates a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, from knowing product requirements to working with government source inspectors, and making sure production is making the product in accordance with the plan, standards and procedures. 

Every day is different. I typically start early with emails and data analysis, moving on to attending Tier 3 meetings, status meetings on product-specific targets, production issues and improvement projects.  

I’ve been here for three years and I like the people, the leadership and I feel appreciated. Overall, my job is good mix of hands-on and office-based tasks, and the company does a good job of providing a work-life balance. I recently returned from maternity leave and I felt like I had never been away! 

Hector Gamez, Facilities Manager

Typically the day begins with a check in with the team to see how we are doing, checking emails and taking care of any urgent items. After that there is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ as there is always something different to do, a different challenge, a chance to improve things, teach, train and help the team grow and develop.

My team of 14 people has oversight of the facilities and the equipment on site here at Irvine, from maintenance to managing hazardous waste - we take care of anything pertaining to the building, outside and all the equipment, site security and calibration programme.

I am happy at Avon Protection, and on a personal level I take great pride in the products we make here – my brother was in the U.S Navy and wore our gear, which is a reminder of what we do and who we protect.

Dominic Leatherland, Design Engineer

My role is predominantly focused on product development, including everything from current production products, components, or the future of respiratory protection. No day is the same within my role. One day I could be in the lab testing valves from a respirator, the next I could be working with fabrics sewing together next generation prototypes or designing parts in CAD to 3D print. I love the variation within my role and throwing myself at opportunities. It keeps me on my toes and exposes me to strangely unique tasks (especially during development), most of which wouldn’t be considered when you look at a finished product. I love prototyping designs as it’s hands-on development where you can turn sketches and ideas into physical things. This process involves iterating designs through failure and critiquing to develop them into products which meet our end users’ needs and requirements.

Lauren Zinger, Quality Assurance Supervisor

As part of my day-to-day role, I supervise a small team of one Quality Engineer and two Quality Inspectors. My responsibilities include overseeing incoming, in-process, and final inspection activities to ensure our products meet internal and external requirements. I enjoy being part of the Avon Protection team as everyone has the opportunity to take on responsibilities outside of their role.  This ensures the team really comes together and everyone does what it takes to get the job done for the benefit of our stakeholders. Ensuring our products are compliant with our customer requirements gives me a great sense of pride and it is highly motivating knowing that these will be used to save lives.

Ron Szalkowski, Head Protection Technical Director

My role varies day to day, from managing active engineering and New Product Introduction (NPI) projects, to ensuring the technical capabilities for our future product line and determining how we can continue to innovate. This also includes building and supporting our engineering team, budgeting and prioritizing projects, developing and navigating patents and other intellectual property, and ensuring this all aligns with the strategic objectives of the company.

Having worked here since 2005, one of the greatest things is the people and the terrific team that I am surrounded by – from engineering to operations, manufacturing, quality, sourcing, marketing, customer service and finance, they all make working here a great environment, and all play crucial roles in delivering our technology to customers. It’s enjoyable to work on projects here that bring in all these different aspects of the business. Another great thing about the area is it being a hub of industrial expertise, so although we work with people all over the world, anything from recruiting engineers to working with local suppliers, there is a lot that we can get done onsite or within a close drive.

I am a native Clevelander and always singing the praises of the area, there are many activities regardless of your interests, from music, sports, and some surprisingly good mountain biking. It’s easy to go from a city atmosphere to the outdoors, and the Cleveland Metro parks is a fantastic parks system that extends all over the region.

Penny Gassel, Visor Bonding Department - Certified Trainer

I’ve happily been working at Avon Protection for a little over 3 years now. I can still remember the day I overheard a job ad on the local radio station and knew Avon Protection was the place I needed to be. Since I started here, I’ve worked in a multitude of manufacturing departments which is perfect for me because I love to meet new people. I start each day meeting with colleagues, checking in, enquiring about those that may need an extra hand. Avon Protection is like a second family to me and there are lots of people across the business taking on an active role to make this one of the best places to work in Cadillac. It doesn't take long for any new hires to catch what I call the Avon Bug! I can’t overstate it enough; Avon Protection is a great place to work!

Adam Freeland, Production Operator

I’ve worked at Avon Protection for 15 years. I’m currently part of the moulding team working to achieve targets whilst maintaining quality. I rotate to different jobs every day and help my team with reject issues or basic press-related problems. What has encouraged me to work for Avon Protection for so long? It would have to be the people that surround me, I enjoy working with and helping others to meet our targets. I am proud of the life-saving products we manufacture, and I strive to achieve zero rejects.

Jen Alexander, Planner/Buyer

I started with the business in July 2021 and my day-to-day role can often change depending on business needs. Currently, I am training a new starter here at the Cleveland facility, so a lot of my time is spent engaging with him to ensure he receives comprehensive training and feels confident in his role and responsibilities. Some of my other tasks can include inventory management and fulfilling material requests for our engineers. I believe accuracy produces reliability and it is vital that we are able to rely on the numbers within our systems to be accurate and ultimately meet our customers’ requirements. I try my best every day to ensure that multiple departments can continue to depend on the numbers in front of them - there is nothing more important in my role than accuracy. 

The best part of the business is the people. I’ve never been a part of a work environment where the people are so kind and polite. I genuinely want to get to know my colleagues. Cleveland is great too!  It’s just big enough to go to a sporting event or major concert, then the next day going for a peaceful kayak on the lake. If you’ve never spent time in Cleveland, you are missing out!

Ryan Doris, Mechanical Engineer

As a Mechanical Engineer my day-to-day routine can be pretty dynamic, but to keep things simple it can generally include anything from creating and testing product samples to understanding that data and determining how a product can be enhanced.  

I joined the business in 2016 as an intern while I was still an undergrad at Cleveland State University. Once my schooling was complete, I was hired on full time to the product development team. This seems to be a trend at Team Wendy, as most of us started as interns in a similar way. 

My favourite part about working here is the amazing team that surrounds me. Everyone is incredibly smart, friendly, and welcoming. I can call all of my co-worker’s friends; from playing Ping-Pong on breaks to going out for drinks or Trivia after work, there is always something fun to look forward to throughout the week. My co-workers are also incredibly talented, and I learn new things from them every day that help better me in my own career. 

Another reason I enjoy working here is the dedication we all have to better protecting the members of the community. Whether it be ensuring the high quality of our helmets in the field or working with academic partners to advance understanding of exactly how brain injuries occur and how to better prevent them, we always have the end-user of our helmets in mind. It truly makes me feel like I am part of a group that makes a difference and I still get chills whenever I hear one of our helmets has helped save a life. 

Jill McClune, General Counsel U.S.

David Demster, Manufacturing Engineer

"Working at Avon Protection has allowed me to be a part of various manufacturing processes. At times we do have to wear different hats but that is the amazing part of working here. Some days I am a manufacturing engineer, working on processes and lean. Other days I am a packaging engineer or a document control clerk. In the 15 plus years I have been here I have gained much knowledge in this company but also the team that I do work with are the finest. Without a talented team my job would be very difficult but we all do pull together when needed because there are days when we have to. I am very proud to be a part of making products that protect our service men and women."

Dariane Dushane, Quality Auditor

"Having worked at Avon Protection since 2019, my role as Quality Auditor allows me the opportunity to work with a variety of areas and teams across the business. I work with different people every day, although I know that if I ever need assistance myself, those departments will support me too. I am responsible for checking anything that is produced at our Cadillac site, from labels to products, if we’ve manufactured it, I ensure that it is to the correct contract number and government requirement. Our products are life-saving devices, there is no room for error.
I would say that that is one of my favorite things about being a part of the Avon Protection team; we produce life-saving equipment for those that protect us and I get to make sure that it meets their requirements before it leaves this building. In my career, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a path to help save lives and working at Avon Protection gives me the opportunity to fulfil that."

Cindy May, Inside Sales Representative

"I work closely with the sales team supporting in their efforts in the field and with our distribution partners, this includes producing quotes for Avon Protection Respiratory equipment and Team Wendy helmets. I monitor and action all incoming website inquiries for Avon Protection and work closely with production, sales, shipping and end users - my daily activities give me a sense of connection to the company as a whole.
I love the feeling of contributing greatly to the safety of the world around me. Day to day, I represent the voice of those protecting us in internal business meetings. Supporting the sales team and our distribution partners at Avon Protection, I know that I am helping to provide life saving products to our Military and First Responders.
Finally, the Cadillac, Michigan area is a great place to live, work and play. In our Avon Protection facility, we are more than just employees. We are family! You feel this when you walk through the doors. It makes doing our job, truly enjoyable and incredibly fulfilling."

Clair Randall, Director of Corporate Communications

Hannah Berrelly, Electronics Value Stream Leader

"Working at Avon Protection has allowed me to develop my career through achieving personal and organisational goals. For me, the best part is that we manufacture life-saving equipment that users around the world trust and there is no better feeling than being a part of a team that delivers this. I truly believe that Avon Protection is a great place to work."

Isabella Evans, Production Operative

“What I really like about working for Avon Protection is the people. At Avon Protection, everyone’s opinion matters. I also really like the amazing hamper that every employee receives at Christmas, it says a lot about how the company cares and looks after of the employees, regardless of their position. Finally, I have found the Training and Development opportunities exceptional, there is plenty of training on offer to everyone interested. For example, I was recently included in a team carrying out a Kaizen (continuous improvement) initiative on the shop floor."