We are proud to announce that Jesse Smith has been promoted to Winding Manager at Yazoo Mills, Inc.
Smith joined Yazoo Mills in 2012 and initially started as a nightshift winding operator. Over the years, he transitioned into new roles that gave him opportunities to grow as a person as well as bring new ideas to help Yazoo continue to evolve as the industry leader. During his tenure at Yazoo, Smith has shown a tremendous amount of leadership, dedication, and integrity, all of which have led to his current promotion.
In his new position, he oversees the entire Winding Department of two shifts and 15 winding lines. In addition, Jesse manages the stock label core program, works with customers on custom printed labels and liners, oversees the management of winding inventory, orders raw materials, and ensures that his team is working efficiently while maintaining a high level of quality assurance.
Smith looks forward to collaborating with his department as well as the management team on implementing more technology to allow Yazoo to continue bringing innovative solutions to help solve problems for our customers, allowing them to improve their processes.
“Success travels in the company of very hard work. There is no trick, no easy way.” – John Wooden
Meet Kevin Bachota | A hard-working Yazoo employee who has been with our company for 11 years and strives each day to make an impact not only on his team but also on the company and our 15,000+ customers. Kevin works vigorously at any given task and completes it with maximum efficiency; always going above and beyond what is needed. He’s passionate about learning new skill sets and helping take the company to the next level which has landed him the promotion to Winding Supervisor.
In his new role, he is responsible for scheduling the work orders between machines in Winding to meet customers’ deadlines, maintaining high-quality standards while ensuring that his operators are also focused on quality, and communicating with various department supervisors to ensure efficiency across the board. He also focuses on driving company policy & discipline, ensuring all safety procedures are acknowledged & followed, and leads, teaches and coaching his team to be successful as well as have the tools and knowledge to continue operating as the supplier of choice for paper tubes and cores.
Kevin contributes his 11-year tenure at Yazoo to many different things. He says “Yazoo Mills is a family-owned company and the people that work here have become a part of my family, literally. The pay and benefits are second-to-none in the area, career advancement opportunities and safety are a priority that is taken very seriously.”
In his spare time, you can find Kevin spinnin’ the DJ table at weddings and events, spending time with his family, coaching his son’s travel baseball team or grilling and relaxing by the fire.
Fun facts:
- Kevin was born in Los Angeles, CA and lived in Vegas until he was 8 years old
- Het met his wife at a roller skating rink and fell in love with her instantly
- He loves to roller skate and is very good at it – “I’m a skate shuffler”
Congrats on your well-deserved promotion, Kevin! We’re excited to watch you grow in your new position.
Take a second to think about where you are in your current profession. Next, take a few minutes to think about all of the previous jobs and experience that have led you to your current role. What was the longest period of time that you stayed at a job? The average person changes jobs an average of 12 times during his or her career. In today’s society, people no longer work for one company for their whole career, retiring after 50+ years. Many workers spend five years or less in every job they hold. Is there loyalty any more when it comes to working for a company? The answer is yes and that company is Yazoo Mills.
Meet Steve McMaster – a long-tenured Yazoo employee that has been working for the company for over 36 years. He dove in head first into the manufacturing industry at the ripe age of 18-years-old as a Winding Operator in our Winding Department. Over the years, Steve proved that he wanted to work his way up by learning everything and anything he could. He proceeded to move into the role of Winding Lead to Recut Set-Up to Production Supervisor and then into his current role of over 20 years as Plant Manager.
As the Plant Manager, Steve’s days are packed with a lot of responsibilities. He oversees production and collaborates with department supervisors to obtain practices throughout the plant from start to finish and ensures that Yazoo is producing high-quality paper tubes and cores with exceptional level of service. In addition, he also works with suppliers to ensure we are receiving quality raw materials for efficient operation for our manufacturing team. When he’s not out on the plant floor, you can find Steve collaborating with Sales/Customer Service to meet our customers’ special requirements for their business such as core size, branding, packaging, etc.
Stability and projects that have challenged him are the secret to Steve’s longevity with the company. He likes that Yazoo continues to invest in its employees and the business and in turn, continues to grow by offering stability, challenges and opportunities for employees to excel into their next role with our team. What does he like best about working at Yazoo? That’s easy — a family-owned company that treats everyone like one large family and takes care of their employees. He says “The people are great to work with and stay once they are here; creating the family atmosphere. The competitive pay and great employee benefits as well as a very clean manufacturing environment definitely attract the right team members, who stay for the long-haul.”
In his spare time, you can find Steve with his family and grandkids. He is a handyman and loves working on all types of projects his kids send his way. Occasionally, you can find him at a NASCAR race during the season and recently, playing in corn-hole tournaments have become his new favorite thing to do to “relax.”
Congratulations, Steve, on your 36 years with the company. We are grateful for your knowledge, loyalty and expertise you have provided our team with. We look forward to having you on our team for the next 36+ years!
Manufacturing – it’s what drives the world around us. Our plant workers are the backbone to our company. They work with pride all while manufacturing high-quality paper tubes and cores that our customers can depend on. Meet John Black – 1st Shift Winding Supervisor that has been with Yazoo for 32 years.
John likes to get a jump start on things so it’s no surprise that he’s an early riser at 3:45am. He hops in the shower to wake up, jams out to music while he packs his lunch and writes a note to his wife, makes a protein shake with a banana or fresh pineapple, kisses his wife and puppy goodbye and heads off to work on his short 2-minute commute.
Once he’s at work, he turns his computer on and brings up the production/recut dashboard to see what jobs came in from the night before. He takes the orders that were laid on his desk from 2nd shift and starts scheduling them into production. During scheduling, he will make the necessary adjustments needed in order to get the work out and over to the Recut department on time. Around 5:30am, he meets with a lead and floater to give them key points to focus on and listens to their feedback. John is a people-person and problem-solver so he likes to get others involved as much as possible. At 6am, the winders are fired up to begin the production day and John checks with his crew to see how their night was, all while assisting them with getting their machines ready. At 8am and 11am, you can find John running machines to cover his team going on break. Throughout the remainder of the day, he is communicating with the Shipping and Recut departments to ensure a good flow through the plant. He continues the day with checking on his winding lines to ensure that everything is running smoothly, receives paperwork from Order Prep and separates the orders between the front and back lines then schedules them. John thrives on being a part of a team-oriented company, knowing that he is helping manufacture the highest-quality of paper tubes and cores that industries across the nation can trust.
John credits his tenure at Yazoo to the people and the challenge of making everything flow together. Those two are the driving force behind his 32 years of service, which also include his previous positions of table person, winder operator and lead.
A few fun facts about John:
What would you do if you hit the lottery?: Make sure the older generation in his family as well as his kids are set up for life
Dream vacation: Travel to Ireland and hangout in a real Irish pub with locals
Hobbies: Spending time with his family and puppy, riding his motorcycle, watching his grandchildren play sports, hanging out with his friends while enjoying some beverages, shooting guns and lifting weights
Fun facts: John is a member of the Green Springs Fish and Game, NRA and HOG (Harley Davidson Owners Group)
Our ever expanding and growing company has seen a major growth over the past year with not only customer growth but also career growth. The manufacturing expansion at our Hanover Distribution center this past fall has led to a career opening at our New Oxford location.
Meet Jared Wolf, Yazoo’s new 2nd shift Winding Supervisor at our New Oxford location. Jared started his career at Yazoo in 2008 as a 2nd shift Winding Operator which then led him to a floating position and then to a lead position, all in the 2nd shift Winding Department. His prior background experience in manufacturing helped Jared not only excel in all of his positions with the company but also prepare him for his role as a Supervisor.
In his current role as a Supervisor, Jared’s duties consist of overseeing the manufacturing of paper tubes and cores on 2nd shift, making sure that quality control checks are done by the operators and himself, finding new ways to limit the downtime of each winder that is running and make certain that policies and company goals are being met. One thing he likes about Yazoo is the smaller working environment. He said “You have a better chance to know everyone on a first name basis and job security… we’re always busy.” He continues to say “I enjoy the responsibility of overseeing my own shift. It gives me great pride.” One of the many reasons Jared has remained with Yazoo is because of our hourly pay rate. He said “It’s one of the best in the area!”
In his spare time over the spring to summer months, he enjoys recreational bass fishing as well as taking his kids out on his small boat to enjoy the outdoors. He also likes to fish in a small tournament trail at one of his local lakes. In the winter time, he enjoys skiing with his family and just recently started bowling in a couple leagues at a local bowling alley.
A job well done on our promotion, Jared – it’s well deserved!
Are you looking to make an exciting career switch? Check out our current openings!
At Yazoo Mills, we take great pride in our employees and the work they do for our company. We provide on-site training for all employees to ensure their jobs are being done safely as well as helping them learn new things that will potentially lead to a job advancement. We love to see our employees excel in their job roles, especially when an employee is promoted to a new position.
Meet Kevin Bachota. He’s been with Yazoo for over 9 years and started out as a 1st shift winding operator. Throughout his tenure here, he has also held other positions such as a winding trainer and a floater. Through hard work, persistence and his drive to learn new things, Kevin has recently been promoted to a Lead in our Winding Department. Within his new role, Kevin is responsible for ensuring that quality of production is up to Yazoo’s standards, assists in production efficiency by gathering daily materials needed for the operators, help maintain a safe and pleasurable environment and assist his supervisor with projects and daily duties.
When asked what he likes best about working at Yazoo, he replied with a big smile “I like the competitive page, the way they treat their employees is top-notch, my co-workers are great (and hardworking!) and the growth of the company is never-ending which gives me great job security.” Kevin also goes on to say “Yazoo Mills create a family environment and makes it easy to come to work every day with a smile and positive attitude!”
In his spare time, Kevin likes to spend time with his wife and son (AJ) and watch his some play travel baseball and basketball. His family also owns a DJ entertainment company on the side so you can most likely find Kevin spinning some tunes at weddings, school dances and private events.
Job well done and congratulations on your recent promotion, Kevin. You deserve it and we look forward to watching you excel in your new position with the company!
A company that promotes within is a hard company to come by. At Yazoo Mills, we give every employee the opportunity to apply for any open positions we have throughout the company. We are proud to promote within and are proud of our employees for continuously improving their skills and leadership that lead them into their next role with our company.
Meet Rob Boone. Rob started his career at Yazoo Mills 11 years ago as a dayshift Winding Operator and quickly found himself in a floater position in our Winding Department. Throughout the years, Rob has proved that his work ethic, training, and knowledge of our company, products, and employees is his priority and continues to find ways to improve the operations at Yazoo Mills.
Recently, Rob accepted a Lead position at our Hanover Distribution Center located in Hanover, PA. Within the new role, he is scheduling, checking products and gathering materials needed to help make sure the work is flowing smoothly. What he likes most about working at Yazoo is “the challenges of troubleshooting issues and getting to know my coworkers better.” In his spare time, you can find Rob spending time with his family, camping, enjoying the outdoors and taking trips to the shooting range. Congrats on your well-deserved promotion, Rob!
“Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader. They set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role. Always about the goal.” – Unknown
In today’s working world, it seems almost impossible to find good employees that are looking to stay at a company for a long time and make a career out of their work. When it comes to working at Yazoo Mills, we treat everyone like family which has contributed to our success of employees who remain with the company for many, many years.
Meet Donnie Myers. Donnie has been with Yazoo for almost 20 years now and has worked all of those years in our Winding Department. When he first started his journey with the company, he held the position as a Winding Operator. As time went on, Donnie was promoted to 2nd shift Winding Supervisor, in charge of over 15+ employees and managing the night shift production order and manufacturing flow.
Through Donnie’s hard work and dedication, he has recently been promoted to 1st shift Winding Supervisor at our newly expanded manufacturing facility located in Hanover, PA. In his current role with the company, he schedules orders, checks for quality and makes sure that the production is flowing smoothly. When asked what he likes best about working at Yazoo over the last 19 years, he said “The pay is the best in the area and the benefits are awesome – you really can’t beat what Yazoo offers. Along with excellent job security, I also like that the employees are given the opportunity to make advancements within the company.”
During his free time, you can find Donnie doing all things outdoors – hunting, fishing and boating. He also likes spending time with his family, traveling around the country to support his boys who compete in archery tournaments. Congrats on your well-deserved promotion, Donnie!
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Jesse Smith as our new Winding Supervisor at our New Oxford, PA manufacturing plant. Smith joined Yazoo six years ago, holding positions in our Winding Department as a nightshift operator, dayshift operator, and lead person – all of which led him to his new role within our company.
In his new position, Smith schedules orders for production, checks quality of products, and makes sure that the work, orders, and products are flowing smoothly through the plant. When asked what he likes best about working at Yazoo, he replied with “The stability, great benefits, and the opportunity to grow as an employee within the company are just a few of my favorite things about working at Yazoo. I’m given the opportunity to better myself and add to my knowledge base for the better of the company. It’s great working for an employer that truly puts their employees first.” Mr. Smith brings extensive knowledge and experience to his new role within Yazoo’s Winding Department.
In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his wife and two-year-old son, Cash, hunting and fishing are pretty high up on his list of outdoor activities as well as going to the races and smoking a variety of food in his smoker. We are excited to see where Smith will lead his department and the company in his new position. Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion, Jesse. We are glad to have you as a part of our team!
Being a manufacturer of paper tubes and cores for over 115 years, we have continued to grow our business and with growth comes opportunities for our employees. We believe in giving our employees the chance to continue growing with the company as they move up the ladder in their positions.
Kevin Hentz has been a long-term Yazoo employee for the last 30 years and is truly a jack of all trades, filled with a lot of knowledge. He started out as a Winding Operator on 1st shift then went to Winding Operator/Supervisor on 2nd shift to Supervisor/Co-Scheduler to his most recent promotion of Winding Manager on 1st shift. Kevin’s new role as Winding Manager entails overseeing production/scheduling in Winding as well as complete scheduling for our Distribution Center, located in Hanover.
When asked what Kevin likes best about working at Yazoo, he responded with “the stability of the company has allowed and continues to allow me to work to my fullest potential and help the company continue to succeed.” Outside of work, Kevin enjoys spending time in the woods hunting for deer, finding new IPA beers that intrigue his taste buds, and relaxing at home. Congratulations on your promotion, Kevin – it is well deserved!