Maurice Stallard's career shows how embracing technology and diversity can foster engineering success.

Earlier this year, HJI Supply Chain Solutions made headlines for how it modernized its factory. To remove errors from outdated operations, the Louisville, Ky.-based auto-parts supplier switched to Pico MES technology to boost productivity and eliminate errors — cutting training time with clear, interactive visual instructions; digitizing 151 workflows and connecting 12 workstations; and ensuring error-free production of 1,685 replacement headliners.

This move was led by Maurice Stallard, director of engineering and manufacturing at HJI. Stallard wanted to simplify training and reduce errors, so he relied on his prior experiences to uncover how HJI could improve its processes.

“Throughout my career, I’ve gained a wealth of experience analyzing processes for their weaknesses and identifying opportunities for defects or breakdowns. I most recently had to launch a manufacturing process for our newest site that would consistently deliver results with minimal to no defects. So I began looking into MES softwares and ultimately narrowed it down to Pico MES,” Stallard said. “The system offers a host of options that create not only the ability to minimize defects during the production process but also improve training quality, reduce training time, and add traceability into the production process. Installing Pico has proven to be a complete win for us thus far. We were not only awarded the contract but are running with zero defects and have been awarded additional contracts as a result.”

Stallard’s career has spanned more than two decades. It includes stops at such big names as GE and Keurig, where he’s worked as a production supervisor, operations manager and general manager, among other roles. He joined HJI more than three years ago, thanks in part to a personal connection with the company’s current president, Condrad Daniels.

“My path here was not typical. My oldest son played little league football and basketball with our current president, and he and I would always discuss what was going on with HJI on the sidelines — what they were doing, what they were interested in, and even some of the challenges they faced. I knew it was a really good company with great owners and exceptional leadership. We always discussed the potential of me joining the team if and when the ‘right’ opportunity emerged. Over the next eight to 10 years, the company continued to grow and develop, and finally there was a position that would be a good fit,” Stallard said. “The president reached out to me when they were opening a new facility focused primarily on manufacturing, and asked if I would be interested in leading that site. I accepted the role and led the site through its initial launch before transitioning into my current role.”

Stallard enjoys his current role at HJI because it offers a variety of new challenges, especially as he takes on more new installation-type projects and launches new equipment software, like the PICO MES project.

A problem-solver at heart

Stallard said his love for problem-solving drew him to engineering. “I have always loved taking things apart to learn how they work and then trying to put them back together – which didn’t always work, of course,” he said. “Early on in my education, I realized I had a strong aptitude for math and science, which was greatly supported by both my parents and teachers. I enrolled in a STEM-focused middle school, which exposed me early on to the skills (and challenges) of engineering. The program continued into high school, and by the end, I knew engineering was the career for me. I initially thought I would go into mechanical engineering, but realized my passion and the career opportunities for electrical engineering.”

Although he had several engineering job offers after graduating college, Stallard declined them because he realized during an internship that operations were where he wanted to be. He returned home to Louisville and took a position as an intern for a company he had previously worked for in college and pursued his MBA. He met his wife during this time, so he was ready to start making roots. “I was offered a position in this company’s leadership training program, but it required me to relocate every six months for the next two years. I didn’t want to be away from my wife that long, so I ultimately decided to pursue other employment options nationally,” he said. “I ended up accepting a production position in Las Vegas, where I stayed for three years and was promoted twice. My wife and I eventually returned back to Kentucky with a newborn baby.”

Working with challenges

Stallard said that engineering has always come naturally to him, but the more difficult challenge has constantly been gathering a host of intelligent individuals — who are all used to being right — to learn, listen, and work well together. “Often in engineering, being smart is just the minimum requirement to gain access to the room,” he explained. “From there, the softer skills are important to develop to help identify, cultivate, and eventually determine the right solution or path forward. That is where I am continuing to focus my efforts and what I hope to bring to the table.”

Stallard also said that diversity and inclusion, or the lack thereof, can create additional challenges for an African American man. “I have worked for multiple companies where I was the minority, if not the only, African American in the room, problem-solving and helping make decisions. I’ve seen first-hand the setbacks that come from a lack of diversity and inclusion and how unique perspectives can easily be missed or overlooked.”

“In more recent years, companies are beginning to take a more intentional approach to diversity and gradually balancing the scales. They are starting to recognize there can be a lot of talent within groups of people that do not necessarily look like you or share your beliefs, or that old stereotypes don’t hold any merit,” he said. “Now there are more opportunities for minority groups to help others gain access to these same rooms. There is now more potential to be judged solely on your performance and what you bring to the table. I am excited to see how this change in mindset, if continued, really changes the landscape of engineering and the professional environment as a whole.”

Although diversity has improved, Stallard does believe there is still much work to be done to balance the scales. “I think the change in mindset I mentioned previously is still pretty delicate and could just as easily slide backward as it could forward. While the changes that are happening right now are great, I am concerned that there is a lack of regulation to support it,” he said. “The same people that are making these changes at the corporate level can just as easily begin de-emphasizing these initiatives. Until we find a way to make diversity and inclusion efforts remain a mainstay, there is always that risk. 

“Some organizations have not even fully bought into the idea of DEI, if at all. There is very little motivation to fix a problem you do not feel exists, and without opening their eyes to these issues, getting them to change can prove difficult. The more we can collect and present data that shows the myriad of advantages that DEI presents — cultural, financial, and otherwise — the better chance we have of shifting their views.”

Seeing DEI benefits first-hand

Stallard said that companies must first universally believe in the benefits of DEI. Once there, the number of changes and improvements that can be made is endless. They can be significant general changes or industry- and company-specific.

“I do not claim to be an expert in this matter, but I do know that any movement in this direction is better than none,” he said. “From an engineering standpoint, I believe it boils down to looking for different perspectives and ideas, regardless of where they come from. If you are always open to the possibility that there are other thoughts and that your one idea is not always the best, you will find yourself seeking out new people, places and ideas that have not been historically explored.”

Working for a black-owned company with predominantly minority leadership has given him a unique place to grow his career and be part of a team focused on opportunity for all.

“HJI is a place where I can flex and grow, and it offers the same opportunity for others company-wide. Because of our unique culture and leadership, I am allowed to openly and honestly express my thoughts and opinions without fear of repercussions. The leadership team has created a safe space for people to flourish, which ultimately benefits our bottom line,” Stallard said. “We are allowed to fail (within reason) in pursuit of finding a better solution to the challenges at hand. HJI’s focus on DEI has also allowed us to assemble one of the best teams I have ever worked with. The team is capable of overcoming any challenge, and anyone who works here will develop a mindset and skills that they can take wherever they go next, cultivating a similar inclusive work environment.”

As for the future, Stallard is looking forward to continuing to diversify his own engineering team in both skills and thought, especially as they prepare for upcoming launches in several industries and areas of logistics, including automotive, kitting, value-add logistics and even reverse logistics.

Reflecting on his career, Stallard offered two pieces of solid advice that, it so happens, are particularly resonant in the context of DEI. “If you approach all conversations preparing to have your mind changed, you will often hear some really good ideas,” he said. “And if you approach teamwork with the mindset of ‘how can I make my team members wildly successful,’ your team will almost always exceed expectations.”