Domestic Plant Trek: Manufacturing Industry Management Insights

By Patrick Riechel

The MIT LGO Class of 2012 just returned from another successful and enriching domestic plant trek. What is this "plant trek" that I speak of? Two weeks of traveling around the United States and Puerto Rico visiting plants and distribution centers (and having a whole lot of fun) with around 50 of your closest friends, that's what!

The LGO "Oregon Trail"-derived T-shirt design

During the trek, we toured eight companies to learn more about manufacturing industry management. We started in Detroit before heading to Seattle, Phoenix, Austin and finally Puerto Rico. I had been told early on in the program that this would be one of the highlights of the program — I now understand why

Patrick Riechel

From an educational perspective, this trip allowed me to see and put into action all of the theory I've been learning about operations, leadership, manufacturing industry management, etc. While touring around the plants and seeing products in the process of being made or transported, we talked with both leadership and line workers, heard from union heads and management, and experienced what it means to be on the front line of an operating company.

Having come from a product-development background, this was an eye-opening experience. The shop floor is an area where you can see leadership and lean principles in their rawest form. I was impressed and humbled by much of what I saw.

However, the trek was not all education. It was amazing to see how much effort many of the companies put into making our trip both educational and enjoyable. Just a few of the highlights included:

• A great evening of dinner and drinks with Amazon.com at a Seattle winery
• Being hosted in VIP fashion by GM at the North American International Road Show in Detroit
• Tasting some authentic Puerto Rican "saborrrr" at a beautiful beachside resort with UTC-Hamilton Sundstrand
• Impromptu midnight outings to celebrate another successful and tiring day; club, bar and casino visits; and long bus and plane rides dominated by familiar faces

During the trip, I started to reshape my view of what makes operations companies tick and gained valuable perspective on where I might want to go in my own career. I also continued to be impressed by my fellow classmates — their drive, sense of responsibility, remarkable backgrounds and potential.

All in all, I would have to agree: The plant trek is indeed one of the highlights of the LGO program.