Talking Shop with Marc Schoch, plant manager, P&G Baby Care

This article originally appeared in its entirety in a special section Sunday. This is an abridged version of the interview.

Procter & Gamble has been a major part of Marc Schoch's life. Schoch been with the company for 30 years, including the last two years in Cape Girardeau as the Brian Blackwell sat down to talk with Schoch and learn more about his life, start in Procter & Gamble and the affect the plant has had on the area in its 40 years here.

Q: Where did you work before Procter & Gamble and how did you come to your current position?

A: I worked many part-time jobs during high school and college, but my first full-time job was with P&G. I got into my current role through my many experiences and roles that I had in the company. I started in engineering in Cincinnati, where I worked nine years on Tide, Crest, Head & Shoulders, Bounce and Downy. I then went into manufacturing and transferred to the Lima, Ohio, plant for seven years working on Downy, liquid laundry detergents such as Tide, Era, Bold, Solo, Gain, etc., and Biz dry laundry bleach. Next was the Mehoopany, Pa., plant which is similar to our Cape Girardeau plant and is where I started in the Baby Care business with Pampers and Luvs. Then I transferred to Japan for four years as the plant manager for a Baby Care and Feminine Care plant.

The international experience was great to experience my mother's culture and for my family to experience international living. I then transferred to Cape as the Baby Care plant manager in August 2007. Twenty-one of my 30 years are in manufacturing, which is where my passion is. Manufacturing is about working with people to produce the best-quality product for our consumers, to be agile in meeting our customers' needs, doing that safely and at the most competitive cost. Manufacturing is about urgency and it is intense with never a dull moment.

Q: How long have you been working at Procter & Gamble?

A: I celebrated 30 years with P&G this past January. P&G is a great company and has offered me a great opportunity to learn and grow over those years. I feel very fortunate and proud to have spent all my career with P&G.

Q: What exactly is your role at Procter & Gamble?

A: I am the plant manager for the Baby Care side of the business. We are one site comprised of two plants: Baby Care, where we make Pampers and Luvs diapers. And Family Care, led by Regina Gray, where we make Bounty and Charmin. Being a plant manager with P&G is the best job I have ever had. It is the closest thing to running your own business but still having the stability and resources of a large corporation.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job?

A: I love working with our great people we have at our Cape site. The Southeast Missouri culture is one of Midwest work ethic combined with Southern hospitality. I am so impressed with our people. We have great people who are deeply skilled to run our complex technology, we work in a team environment, and our folks are very committed to the success of our plant, the success of our business and the success of the Procter & Gamble company.

Q: What is the most difficult part about your job?

A: Of course, with a plant the size of the one here, the work is demanding; but at the same time, very rewarding and satisfying. The most difficult part for me is making the right choices on the hours I spend at work versus at home. Therefore, the time I spend with my family is top quality time.

Q: What do you think Procter & Gamble's 40 years in Southeast Missouri signifies?

A: Forty years means our Cape P&G people have been successful in building a strong business. We had our ups and downs in short periods during those years, but the overall trend has been a strong one of growth. Our plant has doubled production in the last 10 years; that speaks to the capability of our people. During those 40 years, we helped develop the economy in Southeast Missouri with the amount of money we put into the community via payroll, donations and contracts. We have provided careers for close to 3,000 people. We have many spouses and relatives working here, and we are building a legacy with many second and some third generations now at the plant.

P&G retirees are active in the community and are still active with P&G, such as supporting the P&G Diaper Booth at several community events throughout the year. Our Cape Girardeau site is a flagship plant for Procter & Gamble. Our objective is to continue to be one for the next 40 years and beyond.

Q: What is the importance of Procter & Gamble in the community?

A: We have a unique situation of being a large plant for the size of the community. As such, we take our responsibility very seriously. Presently, we provide employment for about 1,200-plus P&G employees and another 500 contractors. We are the largest contributor to the United Way, which is the main provider of services to our community. Many of our leaders in the plant are also leaders in the community, serving on various boards, and we are active in the Chamber of Commerce. We also provide sponsorship for many activities in the community.

During our history we have received great support from Cape Girardeau County, the city of Cape, city of Jackson, and the Chamber of Commerce. Overall, it has been a great marriage between Procter & Gamble and our community here in Southeast Missouri.

Q: Any other comments you'd like to add?

A: I'd like to thank our P&G employees, P&G retirees, our contractors and suppliers and the community for our success during the last 40 years. I am confident we will continue this trend as we move forward to the future.