At Kennametal's Bedford plant, Doug Feather (at right in the photo) has "done a little bit of everything." Now he supervises a little bit of everything as the factory manager of the carbide department which processes nearly 15,000 tons of carbide powder every year. "As part of my job I interact with everything in the plant - review production, work with vendors and outside engineers - you name it and I've got my hand in the mix," he says. After working in the summer while in school, Doug started his full-time tenure at the company in 1973 in the snow plow division department and then moved into the carbide factory. He ran several different machines, was a group leader, supervisor and for the past four years factory manager.

Not all of his time at Kennametal has been easy. "At the time I started, getting a job anywhere was very tough. The economy was really down and during my first 10 years I was laid off nine times, so it certainly was not a steady start." Doug stuck with his commitment to the company, and throughout his time at Kennametal he says he's been supported by dozens of training opportunities. "We're always being trained in new processes and new methods," he says. Kennametal's records show that in the past 10 years more than 50,000 employees class hours have been logged, and Doug says he's been in many of them himself. "Company training has played a major role in my career. Without that training - especially in management - I could not have climbed the ladder," he says. In addition Doug went back to school - earning an Associate's degree in the late 1990s. "It's important that you keep learning and keep expanding your skills if you want to succeed," he believes.

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