Being a maintenance mechanic for PepsiAmericas is really a round-the-clock job. That's why each facility has a five-member crew on-hand at all times.
The bottom line is if there's a line running, we need to be there.
While our primary responsibilities are to take care of any mechanical issues involving the beverage lines and to maintain general upkeep on the building itself, the range of jobs that fall into those two categories is amazing.
One minute you could be repairing the air conditioning in someone's office and the next you're quickly building a new valve so a stalled production line can begin again.
Basically, if it's broke, we need to fix it.
A half-hour is also built in between each shift so the incoming mechanics can learn from those coming off if there are any issues that need to be addressed immediately. After checking with the mechanic I'm replacing, I'll stop by the mailbox for my work orders for that shift.
At the beginning of each week, we're also given a preventative maintenance sheet. Preventive maintenance includes seemingly minor tasks like greasing bearings and checking the timing on machines. We'll work on those here and there when there's a lull.
But even though the lines do get most of our attention, keeping the building in good shape is also a big part of the work we do. For instance, if a dock door won't open, some lift plates don't close or if the dock locks won't release a trailer, we need to take care of those things right away or production stalls.
Our busiest time is definitely overnight.
All the mechanical repairs and maintenance that we can't do when the lines are running are completed well after midnight. The third shift is also the time we take care of the package changes. Our lines may go from two-liter bottles to 20-ounce bottles to a half-liter, and we make all those changes between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. so the lines are up and running by 7 a.m. when the first shift of operators arrives.
However, most of the work we do every day can't be planned. You'll hear your name called over the loudspeaker asking you to report to a certain line, and it's up to you to fix whatever the problem may be.
That's why PepsiAmericas is always looking for people who have mechanical or electrical backgrounds who can come in and basically hit the ground running.
If you like tinkering with machines, you'll love it here.
In addition to maintenance mechanics, the company also hires fleet mechanics and vending repair technicians (although you must be HV/AC certified to repair vending machines).
