In only three short years of working in manufacturing, 2020 Production Machining Emerging Leader Josh Hardwick was promoted to his current position as operations leader at W.H. Bagshaw Co. Inc. (Nashua, New Hampshire). Beginning his career at the company as a CNC machinist, he quickly became proficient in his position, earning the trust and respect of his coworkers. He naturally evolved to team leader within a year, and then to his current position — serving as a supervisor — the following year, taking on the leadership of the safety and tech teams.

“He's supremely patient and has been a great resource for the other team leaders, not only answering their questions but taking the time to explain and improve their skills,” says his nominator, Adria Bagshaw, vice president. “He conducts himself with a quiet confidence and is unflappable when an issue comes up.”

With the leadership skills that Hardwick possesses, it’s no surprise that he finds value in continuing his education in manufacturing. He has completed a Loss Control Academy program and is advancing his ISO knowledge; he is highly involved with his company’s internal ISO audits.

Josh Hardwick, operations leader, W.H. Bagshaw

Not only does he have a willingness to learn but his dedication to W.H. Bagshaw is no secret. At 4 a.m. each day, Hardwick opens the shop and starts the machines. He regularly works overtime as needed for production and is first to do a “dirty job,” but is savvy to delegate for the purpose of elevating and advancing a co-worker, according to Bagshaw. “He lives our core values: family, empowerment, courage/perseverance, and ‘make it happen’,” she says.

Hardwick says he looks forward to continuing to grow his career by using his leadership and troubleshooting skills to help his team accomplish anything that comes their way.

Prior to joining W.H. Bagshaw Co., Hardwick worked in IT for a local school district and serviced complex printing and copying machines for a national company.

Watch this video about why Hardwick and other 2020 Emerging Leaders were attracted to a career in manufacturing. 

To learn about the other 2020 Emerging Leaders, read “Meet Production Machining’s 2020 Emerging Leaders.”

To watch more videos about our 2020 Emerging Leaders, click on the links below:

• Advice for the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent
• Leaders Who are Goal Oriented
• Daily Challenges Emerging Leaders Face