Mike Hebert MassMEP Employee Highlights
With over 35 years in manufacturing, Mike Hebert, MassMEP’s western MA Region Manager, is pleased to bring his broad professional expertise to MassMEP and the manufacturing sector. As Region Manager, Mike works with a team of three Project Managers. Mike talks about what he does, “I work with manufacturers in the western region, and it’s a great area. I love the way that companies out here collaborate. I’ve been with MassMEP for about a year and a half, and what I’ve discovered is that MassMEP has been a best-kept secret in this region. My job is to hit the roads, develop new business, and bring the work together for the manufacturers and the western MA team. I go into the company and explain that MassMEP works on continuous improvement, including the top line, bottom line, or anything in between. We can also assist in getting grant funding for training. Once they understand what we do its simple to get a project started.”
Mike began his career as a mechanical engineer. He’s also done some machining and some assembly work and worked his way up the ladder to engineering manager, quality manager, sales manager, and general manager. He has experience in a variety of different companies due to buyouts, private equities, and private sales. A couple of years ago, the company he was working for was going through a sale with a private equity group which resulted in Mike re-evaluating his career. Mike shares, “I wanted to bring my experience to other companies across the manufacturing sector in MA instead of working for one company. I found a posting on Indeed for a Project Manager position with MassMEP. Through the interview process, I discovered that there was an opening for Region Manager for western MA. That’s how I landed at MassMEP and it’s been great. I love working with manufacturers and now I can work with more manufacturers bring my expertise out into the field.”
Ask Mike what he likes best about his work and he states, “I enjoy people, and I enjoy working with people and want to see them succeed on a company level and personal level. I enjoy coaching and helping people find direction for their business or for their job positions. When you start to see them succeed and the company improves and succeed, then life gets better for them, and it makes life better overall. The transformation in the companies and the personal development resulting from the work we do is amazing. They go from struggling and putting in umpteen hours overtime to being able to relax and say ‘This is working, it flows better now. It makes sense now.’”
Mike concludes, “Outside of work, first and foremost, I enjoy my family – my wife, my two kids, and their spouses. There is nothing more important than being with my family. I enjoy camping, vacationing, and warm weather. In past years we’ve been that unusual family that goes to Florida in July or August. We all like the heat and spending time with each other and all have lots of fun together. We have a large family, so it’s not unusual to get together on holidays in gatherings of 40, 50, or 60 at times. We do a Labor Day cookout and have had over 100 people. Unfortunately, this year has been very different in that respect, and it’s been hard. I’ve been really missing that part of it.” Like the rest of us, Mike is looking ahead to when we can gather like we used to and hoping that our new normal has cherished elements of our old normal.
How well do you know Mike? Two of these statements are true and one is not. Can you guess which one?
1) I have rock climbed a 90’ cliff without safety equipment.
2) I won a weight lifting competition in high school.
3) I competed in college gymnastics.