Colleagues on the Move : Michael Jolevski Promoted to Manager of Operations and Reroll

 

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Mike Jolevski from Reroll Manager to Manager of Operations and Reroll effective August 14, 2023. 

Mike will continue managing the Reroll Department in the same capacity, but his elevated role will involve an increased focus on overall production effectiveness and oversight. Mike will use his experience and expertise to collaborate on actions with production departments and managers. His goal will be to ensure alignment with the business needs now and going forward as we work to successfully increase volumes and charge forward into new markets. He will further support Brian Manganello, VP of Operations, and area managers to take production to the next level. 

Mike has spent his entire professional career with Aurubis Buffalo, first joining the company in 2014 as an Industrial Engineering Intern. Once he graduated with his BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University at Buffalo (UB) in May of 2015, he was brought on as a full-time Industrial Engineer with the company, and quickly became involved in operational excellence. By January of 2018, he was promoted to Rolling Mill Supervisor. He was appointed to his most recent role, Manager of Reroll & Rolling, in May of 2020. 

Mike earned his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from UB’s Center for Industrial Effectiveness in July of 2018, and his PMBA from UB’s School of Management in 2019. He is currently wrapping up his DBA in Organizational Behavior Studies this year from California Intercontinental University. 

The entire senior leadership team looks forward to utilizing Mike’s vast knowledge and production analysis experience to strengthen our core business… production. His dedication to continuous improvement, and obvious passion for learning will serve us well! 

 

Q&A With Mike Jolevski, Manager of Operations and Reroll 

 

Mike, Congratulations on your promotion! 

Thank you. I’m excited to get started! I think there's an abundance of data that's unused right now, and it’s worth analyzing. 

Your team really respects you – I think everyone can see that. So, how do you see your role changing day-to-day? 

Each day I will maintain my management responsibilities in Reroll, but I’ll be allocating more time towards analyzing daily production data. I’m a numbers guy. I do well with applying data to my decision making, and I’ve developed a strong understanding of the mills’ processes. In my new role, I will be responsible for proposing actions to area managers in a more collaborative way. I believe in explaining the “why” behind changes or actions, so I will paint a clear picture backed by data for each action or change proposed. I will also continue implementing urgency on communication improvements across the mill, and further dissolve the silos that exist. 

Thanks for explaining! What are some current initiatives you’re excited about in Reroll and beyond?

There have been a lot of successful trials in respect to the heavy gauge movement; so that has been a huge positive in my department, along with constantly improving our work environment. There must have been about 10 separate yellow belt projects, specifically in Reroll & Rolling, and everyone has taken phenomenal ownership of them to improve their areas. My salaried team has been very supportive as well across the board for each project as needed. 

How do you think you motivate your team? 

I think by setting clear goals and expectations every day, setting clear priorities, and offering challenging opportunities. 

Where do you see Reroll & Rolling one year from now? 

I mean, the key factor is getting more people trained. We are improving our production and operator training, and this includes capturing some of the knowledge we have lost. On the maintenance side, we’ll be taking advantage of all the down shifts to achieve optimal results and truly prevent problems. Also, maintaining that urgency level, regardless of where volumes are. 

Anything else you would like to share with the workforce that I may have missed? 

Overall, I’m just excited for my new responsibilities. I don't really come off excitable, but I’m very motivated for this next chapter. 

I think I speak for most when I say I see how much you care. You advocate for your employees, and it naturally helps the business overall… 

Yeah, I proposed sending a few employees to these rolling mill seminars that were being hosted out of town – back in 2021. The first time around I attended the seminars with two salaried employees. We sent two employees on the salaried side, and two union employees the second time around. It just makes a huge difference bringing technical knowledge to rolling mill operators or my maintenance guys, so they fully understand the process and each function at the machines. 

Well Mike, congratulations again on the promotion. Thank you for sharing your unique insight on collaboration, meaningful communication, and continuous improvements! 

Thank you!

The entire team at Aurubis Buffalo extends warm congratulations to Mike; we look forward to continuing to work with such a gifted individual!