Take a quick glance around Lee Payton’s office and you’ll know he is an integral piece of the ALTEX team. From the myriad of paperwork to the yet-to-be-approved client production samples on his desk, Payton says he thrives on the fast-paced and diverse atmosphere that each day brings as a process engineer.
“I enjoy the challenge of putting together a purposeful plan for the production processes for each of our custom manufactured products,” said Payton. “Finding the most efficient and time sensitive process that will provide a quality end product for a customer is a puzzle I enjoy solving.”
As the process engineer at ALTEX, Payton is challenged every day to seek out the best production process for each individual job and then translate those final solutions to usable work flow checklists that allow the internal production team to know the exact time and quality expectations. After each individual product process is defined, integrating all of the jobs in production into a total-picture, feasible production flow becomes the tricky part.
Process Engineer Lee Payton
Payton’s varied work experience and ability to wear many hats helps him balance internal process management with client product satisfaction — something he learned early in his career. As a subcontractor for an engineering placement firm, Payton was able to hone his skills in everything from quoting, purchasing, sales, invoicing and engineering. He quickly became a jack-of-all-trades and moved into a management position. Upon the recommendation of an industry manufacturer’s representative, he joined ALTEX in 2006 as process engineer but continued to multi-task with involvement in production floor supervision, keeping an attentive eye on production speed and processes to keep the manufacturing work flow at top efficiency.
“I may be involved with a client several months before the product comes into actual production with us,” Payton shared. “If I can help during the design and engineering phase by trouble shooting possible production problems down the road, I can help our customer’s avoid sometimes costly and timely product changes up front.”
Besides the myriad of desk paperwork, family pictures dot Payton’s office landscape. He enjoys spending time with his two sons and wife, golfing and sports activities. But, given his choice of things to do in some spare time he loves to hit the road on his Honda motorcycle and “dust off the cobwebs” from a busy work schedule.
“I’ve heard that you won’t see a motorcycle outside of a psychiatrist’s office,” laughed Payton. “Once you hit the road on a motorcycle, your troubles just melt away and it is pure enjoyment.”
Payton also finds joy in focusing on shifting the production processes at ALTEX to an increased level of proactivity and is aggressive at finding better process solutions for clients and in turn a more efficient work environment for the company. His focus on maintaining a safe and organized work environment is also a priority for Payton and he describes the “a place for everything and everything in its place” mentality is really an attempt to present a professional atmosphere for clients and believes a more organized, safe work environment leads to a more productive environment as well.
“There really isn’t any facet of ALTEX that I don’t touch or have interaction with in some way or another,” Payton shared. “I really enjoy wearing all of those hats in order to collaborate production-wise for a mutually beneficial outcome for our company and our clients. I’m constantly searching to improve the process for the processes!”
[September 2013] Lee has completed IPC-A-610 Training and Certification and is now a Certified IPC Trainer. This further demonstrates the company’s commitment to continuous improvement of product quality and reliability. He is highly qualified to train ALTEX application specialists at all levels including buyers, sales teams and management.