Join David Lee and Jake Hall on this episode of The Maintainers as they speak with Larry Branch, a seasoned paint technologist at Nissan. Larry has been with Nissan for over twenty years and today you’ll hear how he leads within the organization, where his journey has taken him, and why he gives so much back to his local community. 

Larry began with Nissan from a college job fair and has continuously advanced his career , holding various roles from line technician to certified master trainer, and helping launch new facilities globally, including stints in Mexico and Japan. His story is enriched by the mentorship of his father who sparked his passion for automobiles at an early age.

The trio also discuss the importance of standardizing training across facilities and the balance between embracing new technologies while maintaining fundamental skills. Larry’s insights reveal the intricate dance of integrating AI and manual expertise to ensure high-quality production. Plus, his dedication to community service will inspire you; from mentoring young men in Mississippi to participating in Habitat for Humanity projects, his commitment to giving back is unwavering. 

For those passionate about personal and professional development, Larry's take on lifelong learning and the significance of certificates over traditional degrees in the manufacturing world is eye-opening. Tune in to learn how to merge professional growth with personal fulfillment in the realm of manufacturing.

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Guest Bio

Larry C Branch has been a resident of Brandon, MS since 2013. He has two children (son-Kentrell Branch (14) and daughter-Tysheana Lucas (22). Larry attended Jackson State University where he received his BS Degree in 2020. 

Larry has been part of Nissan North America for over 21 years and has held various roles in his tenure. He is currently a Technologist and Master Trainer within the Paint/Plastics Department in Canton, MS. Within his current title, he is responsible for Training and New Model Launch Activities. 

Larry travels around the globe visiting other facilities for training and benchmark activities and has had the luxury to live in Aguascalientes, Mexico as well as Utsunomiya, Japan. He was voted 1 of 8 members of the 2021 Southern Automotive Conferences “Stars of Manufacturing”. 

Outside of Nissan, Larry enjoys traveling to sporting events and seeing other cultures. When he’s not traveling or working, he dwells in my passion of volunteering. He is a part of a male mentoring program (CHAMPS) and helps at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation in Jackson, MS.

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Guest Quote

"When you're dealing with things that have high-cost value, high-safety value and high-quality value such as automobiles, it's very important that you define standards and you have a way to track and keep those standards. If there's a standard, differences will stand out and come to you rather than you having to go find those differences." – Larry Branch

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Time Stamps 

00:00 Episode Start

01:25  Opening Icebreaker

02:30 Larry's Background

05:55 Segment 01: The Maintainer Mashup

07:50 How Nissan invests in their employees

11:15 Ensuring trainings keep up with technologies

14:30 Where Larry has traveled as part of the New Model Launch (NML) Team

18:20 The need for standardizations across organizations

20:00 Segment 02: What's in Your Toolkit?

22:35 All the ways Larry gives back to his community

28:10 Should you stay at one company or hop around?

30:00 Segment 03: The Future of Factories

33:45 Challenges and opportunities

37:05 Segment 04: Fix It Funnies 

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Links

• Connect with Larry Branch on LinkedIn
• Check out Nissan
• Connect with David Lee on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jake Hall on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Tractian