‘I love my job’: Longtime Link-Belt employee found a career

Link-Belt Value Stream Technician Amity Woodford was still in high school when she started working at Link-Belt Cranes.

It was the summer before her senior year, and she was looking for a job with good hours and fair pay. Having grown up with Link-Belt as the daughter of an employee, once she was old enough to apply to Link-Belt’s annual summer program, she didn’t think twice.

Beginning that summer as a shipping clerk, Amity maintained the position through her senior year and earned it full time upon graduating. She said the job was an amazing opportunity for someone just entering the workforce.

“Link-Belt is just a good place to work,” Amity said. “It’s always been a good place to work.”

She worked in that role for years, shipping, reporting, and receiving parts orders and ensuring small packages were sent out. After stepping away in 2001 to raise her first child, she returned in 2008 to work as a boom value stream buyer and scheduler.

“I always knew I wanted to come back to Link-Belt once I was ready,” Amity said. “Link-Belt isn’t just a job — It’s a career.”

After working in the boom bays for a total of 14 years, where she ordered steel for booms and managed job orders, she was ready for a change. Since 2022, Amity has worked in the role of Value Stream Technician under Mike Clevenger, Link-Belt Director of Production.

“Amity plays a vital role in our continuous improvement initiatives,” Mike said. “She is exceptionally well suited for the Value Stream Technician position due to her strong communication skills and ability to engage effectively with all team members.”

As Value Stream Technician, Amity works closely with supervisors and the floor team, helping to improve processes and updating metrics related to safety, quality, cost, delivery, and environment (SQCDE) and Green Belt in Action boards. Through the SQCDE boards, team members can share both their ideas and concerns by scanning a QR code.

“Amity’s approachable demeanor fosters an open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas,” Mike said. “Over the past 15 months, she has recorded more than 700 employee ideas.”

With nearly 25 years of Link-Belt work experience, Amity said she’s amazed by the company’s ability to always move forward and stay ahead of the curve. That same mindset inspires her focus toward continuous growth as an individual and team player.

“I never know what improvement activity I’ll be involved in every day,” Amity said. “I love my job.”