Ray Yow, the general foreman for Galvan Industries, is one of the company’s longest-serving employees. He has been with the company since 1988.
As general foreman, Ray is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the plant, including quality control, receiving and shipping, production scheduling and day-to-day operations.
Working with customer service, Ray helps prepare the plant’s weekly schedule.
“Planning and implementing the production schedule is a major part of the job,” says Ray. “It’s a part I enjoy, too. There is a lot that goes to it. Certain things have to be done at certain times, customers have different delivery requirements, so it’s kind of like working a puzzle. You have to make it all fit so that everybody gets what they need.”
Ray’s job also involves working with staff in the hot-dip plant to directly oversee quality and determine areas for potential improvement. “I started out on the production line years ago and I’ve done just about every job in the shop along the way. Having that kind of experience makes it easier to give direction or make adjustments when we need to,” Ray said. “I also make sure our plant employees follow our safety policies, and any other mandatory rules.”
“Ray has strong leadership skills,” says Galvan’s president, Laurens Willard. “That gives him the ability to provide guidance and support out in the plant as necessary. He also has a great understanding of our processes which helps us maximize our capabilities so we can take care of our customers in a timely manner.”
“At Galvan, our focus is always on the customer,” he added. “We count on Ray’s experience every day to meet our customers’ needs.”
Away from work, Ray likes to spend time with his family, traveling and just being outdoors. He has been married to wife Toni since 1988. They have four children: two sons and two daughters.
