The way Tyler Burdette sees it, he’s doing a job that matters.
A Global Supply Chain Supervisor with Allison Transmission, he’s part of a multibillion-dollar operation that builds transmissions for vehicles that affect people’s daily lives.
“Every job here plays a big part,” he says. “Maybe you don’t immediately see that when you’re doing it, but you know everybody has a role for each transmission, and it could be on a bus that carries your kid to school, or it could be on a truck that carries your food to the grocery.”
In Tyler’s case, that bus, truck or countless other commercial or military vehicles might be virtually anywhere on the globe, as his job is to oversee shipments that go to Allison’s facilities in Japan, India, Brazil and Australia.
Growing up in Marion County’s Decatur Township – not far from Allison facilities – Tyler had often heard people talk with great respect about working at Allison, but he didn’t imagine he’d ever work there. Back then, there were fewer jobs available, and it seemed nearly impossible to get hired. So, when Tyler’s dreams of going to college were thwarted by the death of his stepfather and he had to step up and earn a living for his family, he found other work.
However, when Tyler learned in 2021 that growth and retiring workers at Allison meant jobs were opening up, he was quick to apply. And Allison was quick to take him on, train him and, a few months ago, move him into his current role.
“When I came here, I was a machine operator and I had no idea what I was doing,” he laughs. “They trained me and taught me and made sure I was going to succeed in the role I was in.”
Now Tyler oversees a team of 10 people on two shifts who account for thousands of transmissions that come to them right off the assembly line. They make sure those units are correctly scanned into a system that allows a third-party shipper to get them to the correct facilities outside the U.S.
From the first day, Tyler says, he was coached and encouraged, and supervisors were willing to direct him toward new roles when he seemed ready. He has been impressed by how much the company seems to see its employees as human beings not just cogs in a machine.
“They see it as helping people, not helping a number,” he says.
For Tyler, the growth process has continued, as his department recently introduced new technology and overhauled its processes. Working with his team to implement the changes simply increased his sense of purpose.
“With other jobs, I always felt like I was searching for something else,” he says. “Now that I’m at Allison, I’ve found where I’m supposed to be. This is the company I’m going to retire from.”
