Bayne Beecher: Everyone Can Have a Seat at the Manufacturing Table

This blog is part of a series to celebrate and share the stories of Black American manufacturing leaders.

Bayne Beecher has more than 25 years of manufacturing experience in the automotive and building products industries, specializing in product development, new product launches, process and continuous improvement, and supply chain and logistics. He has worked in window and door assembly, insulated glass, and glass plant operations.

His start in manufacturing goes back to his teenage years in Jamaica, where his family owned a concrete block factory. From that experience, he learned that you could add value to simple inputs and make a good living in manufacturing.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Bayne worked for a company designing and manufacturing automotive windows, interior switches and actuators. He enjoyed visiting these factories to see ideas become reality.

Since then, Bayne earned a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and became a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. He joined PGT Innovations (PGTI) in 2008 and has held various leadership positions. He’s led PGTI’s quality systems management, operations management, production planning and control, and supply chain and program management.

Recognized as a manufacturing leader

Bayne serves as president of the Sarasota-Manatee Area Manufacturers Association, which advocates on behalf of manufacturing at the local, state and national levels. He is the vice chair/finance committee chair of the FloridaMakes (Florida MEP Center) board of directors.

In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to the CareerSource Florida board of directors. Bayne received the 2022 Bob Provitola Manufacturing Leadership Award for exemplary leadership as an advocate and mentor in advancing Florida’s manufacturing economy.

Manufacturing offers opportunities for everyone

Bayne says, “Manufacturing provides people of all walks of life, backgrounds, educational levels, and socioeconomic status opportunities to grow and learn together while delighting our shared customers. Manufacturing provides opportunities for someone with entry level experience to grow and advance in the company as they hone their leadership skills and technical knowledge. Everyone can have a seat at the manufacturing table, from someone with a GED certificate to a doctorate. I am especially fond of apprenticeships with their planned advancement model.”

For anyone interested in learning more about manufacturing careers, Bayne recommends visiting various manufacturing facilities to see what manufacturing is and what the myriad of opportunities are.

“You will quickly find that team members supporting a manufacturing operation range from direct labor team members to production leaders, accountants, marketing and advertising, human resources, engineering and many other team members representing many different fields of expertise,” Bayne says.

Another important step Bayne suggests for anyone interested in pursuing a manufacturing career is for them to contact and talk to someone at their state’s MEP Center.