Pictured Above: Matt Rokosz and Family
It is our pleasure to introduce Matt Rokosz, Vantage Plastics’ new Training Coordinator. Matt has been a member of the Vantage Plastics team for roughly eight years. Matt grew up in Standish, Michigan, and has a large extended family within Arenac County. Matt lives with his wife, Shawna, on their family farm. They have three sons named Jackson, Jagar, and Tucker Cash. Jackson and Jagar are twins and attending college. Jackson is at Kettering University studying to become a mechanical engineer, and Jagar is at Michigan State University studying to become a civil engineer. Tucker Cash is seventeen, still at home finishing high school, and considering going into the trades.
All three sons have participated in sports. Matt is devoted to his family and values time spent with family. Over the years, he has cherished sitting with the family at the dinner table with every meal and talking about life events. Matt mentions that his son Tucker Cash is very good at football. This makes sense since Matt has a passion for sports. Matt has built a storehouse of wonderful memories as he has spent the last twenty years coaching young athletes. He has coached baseball, football, and wrestling teams. At one time, he was coaching four different teams at the same time. His coaching has involved lots of traveling, often to other states for tournaments.
One memory Matt shared was about a young baseball team he referred to as the “Bad News Bears.” Two kids on the team incurred disabling, even life-threatening, health issues early in the season. The team ended up going to a tournament and was rated number twelve as they were not expected to do very well. This team rallied and won first place against all odds. Matt described what a joy it was for him to hand trophies to each of the two boys who were unable to play in the games. Even though they couldn’t play, they stayed with the team cheering on their teammates. Matt says; “Giving young individuals a sense of accomplishment through hard work is a life-changing process.”
This brings us back to Matt and his career track with Vantage Plastics. During his eight years, he has held several positions. After initially joining our team, he worked on the production floor on machine number two. He then went into the assembly area, where components such as retractors and lifts for automation are installed on thermoformed products. He then became an operator on machine number three. He then took a position in our shipping department as a loader. After this, he took over the receiving job. All of these positions required him to interface with our ERP system. Working in this broad range of positions provided him with a broad range of organizational knowledge and experience.
Given this broad range of experience and his affinity for coaching, Matt was recently appointed to the newly created position of Training Coordinator. To support more extensive training, a new standalone training center has been added to the Vantage Plastics campus in Standish. Before new hires are introduced to the operational production floor, they are now put through a two-week training program, helping them develop the necessary skills required. Not only does the training provide hands-on skill development, but it further introduces new hires to the stated Vantage Plastics’ mission, values, history, diversity of products, opportunities, and strategy going forward. It also includes content that addresses individual life skills. Matt says; “safety, working, health, encouragement, and coaching” are the main elements of his role. Being a coach, Matt uses a football analogy and says; “the training is like practice with no pads before getting into the game with pads.” The training center is a significant step forward in the development of a highly professional and skilled status for Vantage Plastics relative to the plastics processing industry.
When asked what he likes about working at Vantage Plastics, Matt mentions the opportunity for advancement, growth, and the ability to make a significant impact not on the lives of our new teammates but on our customers, our community, and the broad impact our products have within the world. He further expresses his great loyalty and gratitude to Vantage Plastics.
A few years ago, Matt suffered a heart attack and experienced tremendous support from the Vantage Plastics family. He also expresses a great deal of gratitude for the health and disability insurance provided by Vantage Plastics that carried himself and his family through the medical challenge. We are delighted to have Matt as a member of our team. As a member of the Vantage Plastics team, Matt Rokosz has certainly been helping fulfill the Vantage Plastics’ Mission of Forming Better Lives, Forming Solutions, and Forming Sustainable Futures.
Experience the thriving work environment at Vantage Plastics, where positivity and professionalism flourish. Our exceptional team is the cornerstone of our success, and we invite you to be a part of it. Don’t miss out—apply today and join the Vantage Plastics team!