Manufacturing Supervisor Thanks Team for Making Him Better
“This is my show-and-tell kit,” said Lead Manufacturing Supervisor Steve Dyal as he retrieved a cardboard box from the top shelf in his office. He opened the box and spread a series of surgical photos, SwiveLock® suture anchors, FiberTape® suture, and a variety of drivers across his desk with pride.
“This is everything we make here that was used in my rotator cuff repair,” Steve explained. He shows the products and photos to new employees and visiting surgeons, and even shared his story with community members.
In August 2018, Steve’s surgeon, James Guerra, MD, performed rotator cuff repair with the Arthrex SpeedBridge™ technique on his right shoulder, fixing a massive tear that Steve endured for years. As an Arthrex employee of almost five years at the time, Steve was confident the implants and equipment manufactured by his team would be of the highest quality. Almost a year after surgery, he couldn’t be happier with the results.
“I asked Dr. Guerra and the surgery center for the batch numbers of the products he used, and once I was back at work I looked up who manufactured and inspected each piece,” said Steve.
Steve found each coworker who had a hand in making the products used for his procedure and thanked them personally. The employee who made the suture anchors used in Steve’s repair, Alfredo Alvarez (CNC machine operator I), is even a mentee of his.
“Steve encourages me to work with discipline, be productive, help train new associates and produce high-quality parts,” said Alfredo. “It’s so exciting to know that something I made helped eliminate his pain.”
When Steve first met Alfredo, he was a candidate for an associate machine operator position. Alfredo expressed an interest in learning everything he could from Steve and quickly began excelling in his new role at Arthrex.
Professional development is a cornerstone of Steve’s approach to leadership. He says that his biggest inspiration is the talented people he works with who are always eager to learn more, something he is continuously doing as well.
Imaging and Resection (I&R) Machine Operator I Yoanis Gato Santiesteban helps manufacture shavers like the one used in Steve’s surgery (the Excalibur).
“When you are lucky enough to have a leader like Steve, you come to work with the assurance that everything will be fine and that if a problem arises, he will always be there to help you solve it and support you,” said Yoanis. “His leadership gave me the certainty that Arthrex is where I want to work for the rest of my life.”
Leidys Guerra started working at Arthrex in assembly for the I&R division, the same team that helped manufacture the shavers used for Steve’s surgery. Not long after joining the team, she approached Steve looking for a new challenge.
“I was able to volunteer to cross train within the milling department and now I’m a computer numerical control (CNC) operator in the CNC Milling department,” said Leidys. “Steve is that kind of leader who encourages you to continue growing professionally. Working with him is so comfortable; he makes everything positive and efficient and yields wonderful results for the team and the company.”
“I’m so proud of Leidys and so is her family,” said Steve. “She takes on development opportunities by herself and I’m just happy to have been a part of it.”
Steve has been in the medical device industry for 35 years. His favorite part, and something he often reminds his team members, is that by working at Arthrex, you can go home and feel good that you’ve made a contribution toward bettering someone’s health every day.
“We have to make these products like they’re for us or our family,” said Steve, gesturing to his shoulder. “You never know who they’ll end up helping.”
Steve’s meticulous commitment to quality is shared by his team members, and Leidys even passes this advice onto others.
“It feels fabulous to know that my team had a direct effect on my shoulder feeling better,” said Steve. “They take pride in their work and strive for excellence.”
Close to a year after his rotator cuff repair, Steve is enjoying a pain-free lifestyle. He’s finally able to do activities he couldn’t before the surgery, such as golfing, working out, or playing catch with his grandson again. He’s also excited to plan his Trip of a Lifetime to celebrate five years of working at Arthrex and, perhaps, participate in the annual Arthrex Manufacturing Inc. East (AMIE) Thanksgiving Day “Turkey Bowl” football game for the first time.
“At Arthrex, you’re not a number. You’re part of a family,” said Steve. “The diversity of cultures and opinions is so refreshing. Everyone is happy to come to work and so cohesive. I’m so proud that Arthrex is a part of me for life.”
