RCBC Student Turns Temp Job Into Executive Director Position

It took William Pepe just three years to transition from being a temporary employee to an executive advisor at Multi-Housing Depot, an apartment and multifamily supplier, according to Rowan College at Burlington County, where he completed his advanced manufacturing courses.

He began his manufacturing career as a temporary employee at Multi-Housing Depot in 2016. Within two months on the job, he was hooked and realized he had found his niche. Within a year and a half, he went from wiping down cabinets, to running a basic machine, to advancing to a door press and eventually running a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, according to the college.

“Multi-Housing Depot saw my ability to organize and schedule workloads in a timely manner and offered me a position to supervise our CNC machining area contingent upon my certification as a maintenance technician. So that’s what I did,” Pepe said.

Four months later, the company had filled an open position for a new plant manager named Kirk Fistick. Fistick mentored Pepe and moved him into a data analytics and production coordinator position, contingent upon his completion of the advanced manufacturing program at Rowan College at Burlington County’s Workforce Development Institute.

While taking this program, Pepe gained a better understanding of the fundamentals in supply chain management and CNC operations. Under the guidance of his instructor Frank Staff, he re-learned basic measurement tooling and obtained a better understanding of how other manufacturing plants operate.

Multi-Housing Depot has since developed a mutually beneficial relationship with Rowan College at Burlington County, providing job opportunities for graduates of the program as front runners in the application process.

Pepe, meanwhile, has spoken at numerous events for the college, including the Supply Chain Manufacturing Conference and several job fairs. He maintains regular contact with Staff and encourages his employees to continue their education through Rowan College at Burlington County.

Since his completion of the advanced manufacturing course, he has transitioned from an assistant operations manager to executive advisor.

In his spare time, Pepe enjoys kayaking and fishing. He is also in the process of restoring his home and makes his own furniture. Pepe continues to expand his knowledge by learning a variety of coding languages through online software development courses.

He plans to re-enroll at Rowan College at Burlington County next spring to earn credits toward his MBA and eventually establish a seat on Multi-Housing Depot’s executive board.