Nicki Collins
GE Silicones, Waterford NY
Operations Manager, Manufacturing

Of all the businesses that make up GE Plastics, you'll find that Silicones makes the products with the widest variety of uses. And you'll also find Nicki Collins making them.

"Silicones are interesting chemicals. They're used to make Silly Putty and to protect the Space Shuttle," says Nicki. "The basic capabilities of Silicones make it a huge growth market where the possibilities seem endless."

As an Operations Manager in GE Silicones manufacturing, Nicki oversees the area that makes the base products used in every silicone product produced at the Waterford, New York, plant. Before this position, she was a Six Sigma Black Belt responsible for process improvement projects in Chemical Operations, and a Production Engineer for fumed silica and trichlorosilane plants. She's worked at GEP for five years.

"The Albany, New York area is really beautiful," she says about her current home. "The Adirondack Mountains are stunning during the fall. I'm fortunate enough to live right on the Hudson River, so I have a spectacular view all year round." Nicki and her husband are working on improving that view, doing some renovations around the house.

Personal goals like these are important to her - and she believes her career at GEP can help achieve them. "I guess it's the same with everybody," she says. "I want to be a well-rounded person, financially stable, and enjoy a variety of pastimes."

When it comes to work, she's more specific. "I would like to one day be a plant manager for a chemical production facility. I enjoy the fast-paced world of the production environment, and want to take on the responsibility of directing a large operation."

Her entire professional career, starting at Exxon Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been in production. But she's managed to keep her educational achievements on par with her work ones. After completing her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, she obtained her Master's degree from Louisiana State University while working for Exxon. Transferring to GE, she then pursued a Master's in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute while working full time.

She credits GEP with providing her with a lot of opportunities. "Just when you think you can't do any more or that you're tapped out, another opportunity presents itself to test your capabilities. It's really satisfying to succeed in such an environment."

Nicki's success has also been good for GEP. While working in Chemical Operations, she and her team made lasting improvements and corrected old process issues. These changes generated over $1,000,000 in material productivity and improved the operability of several reaction systems. Demonstrating her capabilities as an engineer, the solutions Nicki made here have given her the chance to work on bigger and bigger projects.

"And this is still the case," she continues, "the bar is constantly raised, seeking to bring the best out of me as a professional. If there's one thing I've learned from GE Plastics, it's that there are no limits to my capabilities and I am in control of my career."

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