Get to Know Your Local Industry - Denton Burchett, Berry Global

​1. What is your position with Berry Global? How do you serve the company?
My title is Tooling Manager but I also serve as the Manager of the Processing Department. In this role I serve as a technical and plastics resource for the company.  It is my responsibility to convert raw plastic pellets into good and usable plastic components.

2. What are Berry Global’s products?
Berry Global has 290 locations on six different continents.  In those locations Berry produces plastic products for the food and food service sectors as well as the healthcare, filtration, beauty/personal care, agricultural, building/construction and industrial /transportation sectors.  I have heard that when you walk in a grocery store, 25% of the products on the shelf have Berry Global content in some way.

3. What does it mean to work for a company that makes products shipped all over the world?
I love the fact that we ship products all over the world.  I take great pride in the fact that we are a global supplier.  Every time I hear someone say that America can’t compete in the global manufacturing market, I proudly let them know that we do it every day right here in Arkansas. 
 
4. What advice would you give someone trying to choose a career?
“Find something you love and you will never work a day in your life” may be good advice, but the reality is that you have to be able to make a living in your chosen profession. One strategy would be to talk to people you admire and respect who are in the workforce about options and what they think the future of their industry looks like. The more information you can collect, the better the decision you can make.

5. What is your biggest employment need?
Skilled employees.  If it is a job that you can train anyone to do, then you can probably train a robot to do it, and eventually this is the way United States manufacturing will go. This will reduce the need for unskilled laborers but increase the need for people with the knowledge and skills to maintain these systems.

6. Who are you looking for to work at Berry Global?
At a facility like Berry Global we have positions for just about anybody. If you have a work ethic and are able and willing to learn, we have a place for you at Berry Global.

7. Where are you originally from?
A little town in Southwest Missouri named El Dorado Springs.

8. What path led you to Berry Global?
After graduating from high school, I served in the Army for four years, which gave me the discipline and financial means to go to college where I earned a four-year degree in manufacturing. At that time I had no intention or desire to go into plastics manufacturing, but in my first job making automotive water pumps and fuel pumps, I was introduced to the world of plastics and it has been a wonderful career for me ever since.

9. What are your hobbies?
I enjoy all of the outdoor activities that are offered to us in Arkansas, and since I’ve moved to Hot Springs I am finding that I really enjoy horse racing.

10. What is your favorite thing about Hot Springs?
I love Hot Springs, and to me the best thing about Hot Springs is that we get to enjoy some of the culture normally associated with a city but you still get that small town feel.