15 Aug 2024
Amanda is a senior at Villanova studying Mechanical Engineering. During her time at Puratos she worked with the Operational Excellence team which consisted of spending her time in the plant ensuring operations were running smoothly and products are being made efficiently.
1. How did you find out about this internship, and what motivated you to apply for it?
"I found this opportunity while looking for food manufacturing internships near Philadelphia. I applied for this position because I wanted to work in an industry where my work has a direct and tangible effect on the consumer. Although Puratos is a B2B company, food is a very personal product and it's impressive to think about how many consumers are affected by the products and services that Puratos provides to other businesses."
2. How has this internship contributed to your understanding of the food industry?
"Working in a food production plant has been a super rewarding experience. Every day, I am able to observe the day-to-day operations of the plant and its complex systems of people and machines that work 24 hours a day to ensure we are consistently producing quality product in the right amounts, at the right time. As a consumer, seeing the daily operations in the plant has given me a new perspective and appreciation of how much work goes into the products that we buy. As an engineering student, it has been awesome to observe the relationship between man and machinery, both physically and systematically, and specifically how people and machines work together to create the best product in the most efficient way possible."
3. What advice would you give to other students or individuals considering the same internship or a similar role?
"Learn as much as you can by meeting as many people as possible and asking them about their roles and experiences. Continuously gaining other people's perspectives has been the most valuable part of my experience because every single person has something valuable to offer to conversations, which comes in handy when understanding and solving problems. This can apply to all parts of an internship experience, from meeting recruiters and learning about the company/industry to the people that you will work with on the day-to-day."
4. What areas did you grow in during your internship?
"During my internship, I grew in my interdisciplinary communication skills. Throughout my projects, I have worked with people in all functions for the plant and the company. Learning how to effectively communicate your thoughts while synthesizing other people's input on complex topics has been a rewarding growth experience."
5. Could you describe a typical day as an intern in this role?
"My workday is different every day! Somedays, I spend more time on the production floor than at my desk, walking around the plant, investigating the functions of equipment, and learning/observing processes with the operators on the lines. Otherdays, I spend a lot of time analyzing data collected from plant operations to help decide what we can do to better improve the efficiency of our processes."
6. Did you participate in any activities related to your professional growth during your internship?
"The interns have had multiple training and informational sessions where we discuss professional development. I have enjoyed these conversations because I get to see what the other interns are up to, which has helped me to better understand the other functions in the company."
7. What projects or tasks did you work on during your internship, and which one was the most challenging or rewarding for you?
"During my internship I have been involved in numerous improvement projects in the plant. I have worked with our maintenance department to develop automated data extraction and analytical tools which will give our plant a better look into how Maintenance operates, trends in plant maintenance needs, and how work is allocated. I have also developed standards for the management of raw materials which includes getting to know our current procedures in great detail and receiving the guidance and opinions of all people involved in each step of the intricate processes. My favorite project has been analyzing the flowrate of raw materials between bulk storage and the cookers. I have been able to be hands on with our equipment, taking measurements and researching their specifications to determine how we can optimize the flowrate while maintaining the necessary constraints in which our products are cooked. From the data I've collected and models I've produced, I have proposed mechanical solutions which will hopefully improve our productivity on certain lines by tens of hours a week, equating to hundreds of hours a year. I have also been involved in the implementation and testing of a couple improvement projects which started before my internship and will continue after my internship is complete. I like being able to see these improvements made in real time and to know that even after my internship is over, my work will continue to benefit the productivity of the plant! "
8. How valuable was the guidance/mentorship you received during your internship?
"The guidance and mentorship that I have received during my internship has been very valuable. My manager, the operators, shift leads, maintenance department, quality department, and everyone else have been so helpful in answering all of my questions about how the plant operates. Everyone that I met has given me insight into the food manufacturing world and how much thought goes into producing a product."
9. How would you describe the company culture?
"Everyone that I have met at Puratos takes pride in what they contribute to the company. The employees at Puratos are passionate about seeing their teams succeed and proud to say that they work here. Overall, I've found the company culture very friendly and inclusive, lending itself to a great work environment."
10. What was your favorite memory from the internship?
"My favorite memory from my internship is giving a plant tour to a local girls' science summer camp. I enjoyed answering their questions about the machines and I felt really cool when I got to show them where I work. It was awesome to see them express interest in manufacturing engineering."
11. What is your favorite Puratos product/ finished good you’ve had during your time here?
"My favorite Puratos product that I've tried this summer is a roll made with O-tentic. I was able to share some with my friends and family too!"
