You’ve heard of the Avengers and X-Men but have you heard of the Dream Team? Blake Aubrey, a human resources manager with Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is captain of a Dream Team and works to teach young kids about the importance of manufacturing careers.
“The Dream Team is a group of early-career employees from our major facilities who are active in the national ‘Dream It. Do It.’ program and others designed to raise awareness of the many positives associated with careers in manufacturing,” Aubrey says.
Helping people is something that’s not only a big part of Aubrey’s job; it’s also a big part of why he loves his job. As part of being an HR manager, Aubrey participates in Cooper’s Texarkana New Hire Employee Engagement Program.
“As part of the program, I get to meet periodically with employees who are new to the company and often to the tire industry, to try and answer questions they may have,” says Aubrey. “I really enjoy this aspect of my job because I get to help them grow as employees and ensure they have all the tools necessary to become vital members of the Cooper family.”
After spending 10 years in the cement industry, Aubrey began working for Cooper in early 2016 and has already come to love the tire industry.
“The technology and innovation that goes into producing a quality final product is fascinating to me,” he says. “As someone relatively new to the tire industry, I love learning about the processes and what all actually goes into getting our product to our customers.”
Aubrey says he tries to avoid being a “can’t-be-done” person and believes success comes from owning one’s mistakes and weaknesses.
“One of my mentors once told me that ‘Whatever you think can’t be done someone will always come along and do,’” says Aubrey. “I have found this to be true countless times in my career. Anytime someone says that a project is too big or a certain goal is out of reach, there always seems to be someone who is willing to put in the effort and time to make it happen.”
Fun Fact: If Aubrey could meet anyone, living or dead, he would want to talk with his grandfather, John Aubrey Sr., who was a WWII veteran and opened a successful dry goods store in his hometown. “I was very young when he passed away, and I would love to meet him as an adult and hear some of his war stories and learn more about him as both a person and a business owner,” says Aubrey.
