Thanks to hard-working individuals like Ben Clark, MDG recently completed our HACCP recertification audit for food and feed Bacillus cultures! We’re lucky to have a team that works hard at maintaining such a solid foundation for our everyday operations.
1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group?
I first started my career at a small, private laboratory. During that time, I really enjoyed the close-knit and collaborative feeling that comes with working in a smaller company. Microbial Discovery Group offers that same type of environment – a diverse group of people with a variety of skills and experiences all working together across departments towards a common goal.
2. What does your typical day look like?
Ask anybody here and they’ll all say the same thing – there’s no such thing as a typical day! Part of what makes this job so interesting is that there is always a new set of challenges to face. My day is usually split between our daily QC tasks to ensure everything we produce meets our specifications and our customer’s expectations, as well as helping to make sure both our Franklin and Oak Creek locations remain in regulatory compliance.
3. What are you working on right now?
My current focus is working to strengthen and improve our food safety, HACCP, and change control programs.
4. What is the most inspiring part of your job?
The most inspiring part of this job for me is knowing that the hard work we all put in goes towards products and solutions that help to make the world a better place for all. I love that this philosophy underlies all that we do here on a daily basis.
5. What is your favorite aspect about working at MDG?
I truly enjoy getting to work with a variety of experts in different fields day in and day out. The level of expertise here at MDG provides a wonderful opportunity to continue to learn and grow as a scientist.
6. What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?
In my free time, I enjoy playing music (piano and guitar), running, and spending time with family and friends.
7. Professional goal for the next 5 years?
I want to continue to grow in my familiarity with the different strains and products that MDG produces, as well as helping to find ways to streamline and make our QC department more effective and proactive.
8. Let’s talk about our recent HACCP audit and the impact that has on MDG’s future success…
One of our biggest strengths at MDG is having robust food safety, HACCP, and cGMP programs in place. Given that, we had a very positive outcome for our most recent HACCP audit with only a few corrections that needed to be made at our Franklin and Oak Creek locations. Audits like this are an important tool that we can use for continuous improvement in our day-to-day operations and helps us to reach our goal of always being “audit-ready” at any given time. This readiness gives our customers confidence in our quality products and processes.
