5 Questions with Supervisor of Sterilization Operations Frank Yacino
This edition of our 5 Questions employee profile series features Supervisor of Sterilization Operations Frank Yacino. Frank leads the sterilization team at Arthrex Manufacturing Inc.'s Finishing facility, which is located right next to Arthrex Manufacturing Inc. East (AMIE) in Ave Maria, Florida. His passion for his work is evident. Read on to learn about the Sterilization team’s exciting recent accomplishments, Frank’s philosophy on professional growth and how he and his wife are adjusting to living and working in Florida.
Note: The Sterilization department at Arthrex receives, logs and examines manufactured products for any damage. They ensure all products are clearly identified and verify that they meet sterilization processing specifications and proper labeling throughout all stages of the sterilization process.
What does a typical day at Arthrex look like for you?
My day starts out with a shift change meeting between the night shift, day shift and maintenance team. We review the events of the previous shift, provide information about tasks that have been started, and we mostly focus on our safety, quality, delivery and cost board, which we call the SQDC board.
Next, I check emails, schedule product received from AMIE to be set up for sterilization, and schedule product shipments to the Arthrex Logistics Center in Fort Myers, Florida. I also conduct training with the sterilization operators and work on continuous improvement (CI) projects.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The teamwork, by far. It’s great to work in an environment with such a high level of cooperation and collaboration. We completed 31 CI projects in 2018 alone. The team works very well together and is highly motivated to continue making safety and operational improvements. The environment here drives us all to really want to contribute to the Arthrex mission and goals.
My boss Tim Thompson [director of operations] expresses a lot of confidence in me and in the rest of the team. He is a tremendous leader and person. I have been micromanaged by supervisors at previous companies, but Tim trusts us and sets an expectation of mutual respect.
What has been a highlight during your time at Arthrex?
Completing the first full year of supervising the operations of the sterilizers in 2018. The team met the safety goal of zero OSHA recordables [safety issues] and surpassed our quality goal. We also saved Arthrex a substantial amount of money in contract sterilization costs. It was phenomenal year.
We display our monthly and year-to-date progress on the SQDC board so that the team always knows where we stand. Everyone is very engaged in reaching our goals and excited when we do.
What is the best advice you’ve received throughout your career?
The secret to success is to be ready when the opportunity comes. That’s always stuck with me. I’ve been in the sterilization business going on 37 years and that’s always been in my mind. Whether you’re looking for a promotion or hoping to become part of a project team, whatever your goal is, if you do your work and show that you know what you’re doing, you’re going to succeed.
I try to pass this along to team members. In the sterilization world there aren’t a lot of ‘rungs in the ladder,’ so we make it a point to thank and recognize employees when the department is successful so they know they’re very much appreciated. Sterilization is a very unique niche and I fully support employees’ individual growth. We have such a smart group of people here and I thank Arthrex for selecting candidates that are truly here to do their best.
What do you do in your downtime?
My wife and I had our change in latitude two years ago when we moved to Naples from Douglas, Massachusetts. It’s been a bit of an adjustment coming from a town with a population of about 8,000 people and not a single traffic light.
We really enjoy the weather and love entertaining family, friends and especially the grandkids when they visit. We spend as much time as we can on the beach and paddle boarding. We also make frequent road trips to the Keys and actually started a new tradition where we spend Christmas in Key West. Basically, we’re doing our best to live life like a Jimmy Buffett song.
Want to join the Arthrex team? Read more employee stories, learn about each Arthrex location and view all open positions.
