Elizabeth Gatto*
Production Manager
Every day is different. I love being involved in all aspects of such a large machine with so many moving parts. Keeping everything running is like a giant jigsaw puzzle and I love puzzles.”
Elizabeth began her manufacturing career as a 2nd shift supervisor at Sherwin-Williams’ Hagerstown Engineered Polymer Solutions plant. In this role, Elizabeth’s strong leadership and technical expertise led to Management of Change and the execution of important vent line modifications that allowed recirculation of caustic and elimination of downtime. After assuming responsibility for the Statistical Quality Control (SQC) program for latex technology, Elizabeth’s efforts to resolve a problem formula during a difficult quality year contributed to the team’s resolution of major quality issues. Resulting impacts included $40K in filtration savings and a 32 percent higher latex production through the 2017 peak season. Additionally, through her production management role, Elizabeth was responsible for scheduling and delivering record volume during an $8MM installation of the K7 reactor.
As the only female manager who directly supervises employees within her plant, Elizabeth influences her peers by demonstrating valuable leadership techniques and assertiveness in a challenging environment. Her guidance and effective communication have significantly improved employee engagement and cooperation within her plant, while inspiring positivity and accelerated results.
She has led numerous safety initiatives ranging from a train-the-trainer and operator observation program on forklift safety to preparing Process Safety Management onboarding tools. Trained in Sherwin-Williams’ Continuous Improvement methodology, Elizabeth also leads the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and 5S elements and achieved Level Certification for both in year one. In 2018, Elizabeth led efforts in hazard recognition, walk-the-line and safety committee activities. By taking operator suggestions and turning them into engineered solutions, Elizabeth helped her plant continue its 2-year injury free streak.
While attending the University of Pittsburgh, Elizabeth actively supported the school and her engineering department. In addition to volunteering to recruit and conduct student orientations, she served on the Engineering Student Council. Today, she continues her recruiting efforts by participating in job fairs to attract future talent to Sherwin-Williams.