Article by Jordan Vitick from Plastics News

Prathna Oudom, 34

Production Supervisor/Process Engineer, Diversified Plastics Inc.

Born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Prathna Oudom’s first plastics job was as a machine operator for Mikros Engineering, which supplies custom injection molding, insert molding, over-molding, tooling, assemblies and prototypes. Oudom moved to shipping/receiving, then setup technician and process technician.

He joined Anoka, Minn.-based medical device design, development and manufacturing company JunoPacific Inc. as a process engineer. In 2020, he became production supervisor/process engineer of Minneapolis-based custom injection molder Diversified Plastics Inc.

Oudom, of Brooklyn Park, Minn., said he was not initially interested in the plastics industry but it was the first place that gave him the opportunity to have his first job.

“The greatest achievement was completing my first year [as a] plastics engineer,” he said. “I’m proud of this accomplishment, and I feel from what I learned is going to give me a big advantage in my career now.”

He said the industry provides great opportunity for people of different disciplines. “And plastics are used in so many different ways … both medical and nonmedical,” he said.