An Introduction from Greg Sabens, Paris Plant’s Assistant General Manager of Engineering
I am originally from Paris and to be honest, have always considered it home. I graduated from Paris High School and went to undergraduate school at the University of Illinois (BS Mech Engineering) and then graduate school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (MS Engineering Management & Technology). My first job was with Ford Motor Company, and I got the opportunity to live in five different cities in just over nine years. I had the opportunity to see much of the country and multiple different manufacturing facilities (Detroit, Louisville, Mexico City, Rio De Janeiro, Kansas City, and then back to Detroit). I realized pretty quickly that I loved the pace of manufacturing and more importantly, the thrill of building product you get to see and touch on a daily basis. I was hooked. After working at Ford, I took an advancement opportunity with United Technologies Corporation (Carrier Division) building residential condensing units in Memphis, TN. This was a great experience where I really learned the trials and tribulations associated with high volume production; we produced 10,860 units per day or roughly 1 unit every 3 seconds. After UTC, I took an opportunity with Rolls Royce in Indianapolis where I spent a little over eight years. I started as the Director of Quality for four years and then General Manager of Facilities for North America. I got the opportunity to do a lot of really cool stuff with Rolls Royce. We launched the V-22 Osprey, which for those that don’t know is the tilt wing rotor utilized by the special forces for most branches of the military. I also got to lead the implementation of a greenfield manufacturing site for the F135B which is the Stationary Take Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the joint strike fighter. I then elected to go back to Ford Motor Company where I spent the last eight years doing what I am passionate about, which is helping teams manufacture high quality products and launch new products. Kentucky Truck Plant has just over 10,000 people who work there and we produced just under 500,000 Super Duty Trucks, Expeditions and Navigators on an annual basis.
Enough of the past, my family and I are truly excited to finally be back home and fortunate for the opportunity NAL has provided. NAL is a great company with great products, processes and people. I was drawn to NAL for a couple of reasons. First, it’s automotive manufacturing which I am passionate about, and second, because of the growth and technology that will occur in the four corners of the vehicle over the next several years. It’s amazing how much a headlight has changed already, and I can’t believe some of the things that will occur in the future. However, what mostly drew me to NAL was the people. I have spent extended time in over 30 different manufacturing facilities covering three different industries, and I can honestly say we have an outstanding group of people at Paris and I just want to be a part of it and do everything I can to help the team.
My role as Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Engineering is really simple. I will do everything I can to help the Paris facility be successful. More pointed, the role is tasked with improving equipment uptime, reducing quality defects, safely launching new product on time, at rate and better than expected quality levels, as well as helping the business move forward profitably. I am very excited about the opportunities we have in front of us and look forward to helping the team tackle some of our challenges.
Favorite sports team: Easy one here, 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs!
Hobby/past time: I have a 10 and 11 year old boy, when I am not working I am a professional Uber driver carting them around to all of their sporting events. I also spend as much time as I can hunting.
Bucket list item: At some point, I would love to drive up the northeast coast in the fall to see the fall foliage and eat lobster for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
One food you couldn’t live without: Joes Pizza-jumbo pepperoni/ground beef swimming in extra sauce
Favorite NAL lamp: I’m a Ford guy so I love the Raptor lamp. It’s a beautiful piece of artwork.