Production Associate I - Saw / Fabrication

Special-Lite; Decatur (MI); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with Company Match

Paid Vacation, Sick Time, Holidays

Parental Leave

Bonuses

Job summary

Special-Lite is hiring a Production Associate for our Saw/Fabrication team in Decatur. Work with real tools and materials to turn raw stock into custom doors and entryways for buildings nationwide.

You’ll read templates, maintain tight tolerances, and contribute to a collaborative shop environment. Applicants should have a high school diploma or GED, basic hand and power tool skills, and the ability to read a tape measure to 1/32 inch.

Qualifications

• Must have reading a tape measure and basic math skills.
• Familiarity with hand and power tools.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and ability to follow instructions.

Responsibilities

• Operate CNC machines and hand tools to turn stock into doors and entryways.
• Read templates or diagrams and maintain tight tolerances.
• Follow safety practices and keep work area clean and organized.
• Collaborate with team to ensure on-time production.

Skills

Tape measure reading

Hand & power tools

Mechanical instincts

Reading diagrams

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

CNC machines

Job description

Job Description

The Door You Walked Through Today? Someone Built It. Be That Someone. Think about it — you've walked through hundreds of doors this year and never noticed a single one. That's not an accident. That's craftsmanship doing its job quietly. Somewhere in a school hallway, a restaurant, or a city building, one of our doors is standing up to daily abuse, harsh weather, and constant use — and still doing its job perfectly. We want you to be the one who builds it. Special-Lite is hiring a Production Associate for our Saw/Fabrication team in Decatur. You'll work with real tools, real materials, and a real team — turning raw stock into custom doors and entryways that end up in buildings across the country. No two days look exactly the same, but every day ends with something tangible you helped create. A Day in the Shop: You start with safety. Not as a checkbox — as the thing that lets everyone go home the same way they showed up. You build with precision. Templates, instructions, tight tolerances — you're reading a tape measure down to 1/32" and making sure it's right, not just close. You keep things moving. CNC machines, hand tools, upstream equipment — you're one link in a chain, and the team downstream is counting on you. You make it better. See a smarter way to do something? Say so. This isn't a shop that just wants hands — we want your ideas too. What Gets You Hired:

• High school diploma or GED
• You know your way around basic hand and power tools
• You've got mechanical instincts and can follow instructions — written, spoken, or sketched on a diagram
• Math doesn't scare you: fractions, percentages, ratios, proportions
• You can read a tape measure to 1/32" without blinking
• You can lift 70 lbs with assistance
• You work well with people, not just machines Extra credit if you've got:
• Manufacturing, assembly, or construction experience under your belt
• Blueprint or template reading chops Physical Requirements:
• Frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel or operate office equipment, and reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to talk and hear.
• Required to stand and walk.
• Required to lift, push, pull and/or move up to 70 pounds with assistance.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Special-Lite will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work Environment:
• Safety glasses are always required on the production floor.
• Hearing protection is required in designated areas. Benefits at Special-Lite: A competitive salary and opportunities to advance in your career are just the beginning. Special-Lite offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family, including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Performance and Holiday Bonuses
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Tuition Reimbursement/Educational Assistance and Professional Development Support
• Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays About Special-Lite: We manufacture custom door, frame, and interior solutions for new construction and retrofit projects across educational, commercial, institutional, industrial, and municipal applications—combining hands-on craftsmanship with advanced technology to deliver exceptional quality, performance, and reliability. Built to last in high usage and challenging environments, our high-quality and made-to-order solutions are unique in the industry. The products we build welcome, protect, and enhance spaces across the U.S. and beyond. You would probably recognize more than a few of our famous customers. As one of the largest volume producers of commercial FRP doors, you may have even already walked through one of our solutions. For more than 55 years, we have been driven to grow through relationships as strong as our products. We are committed to the success of our employees, our customers, and our communities. We stand behind our products with passion and excellent customer service. People. Passion. Performance. Visit special-lite.com to learn more. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic

Job Description

The Door You Walked Through Today? Someone Built It. Be That Someone. Think about it — you've walked through hundreds of doors this year and never noticed a single one. That's not an accident. That's craftsmanship doing its job quietly. Somewhere in a school hallway, a restaurant, or a city building, one of our doors is standing up to daily abuse, harsh weather, and constant use — and still doing its job perfectly. We want you to be the one who builds it. Special-Lite is hiring a Production Associate for our Saw/Fabrication team in Decatur. You'll work with real tools, real materials, and a real team — turning raw stock into custom doors and entryways that end up in buildings across the country. No two days look exactly the same, but every day ends with something tangible you helped create. A Day in the Shop: You start with safety. Not as a checkbox — as the thing that lets everyone go home the same way they showed up. You build with precision. Templates, instructions, tight tolerances — you're reading a tape measure down to 1/32" and making sure it's right, not just close. You keep things moving. CNC machines, hand tools, upstream equipment — you're one link in a chain, and the team downstream is counting on you. You make it better. See a smarter way to do something? Say so. This isn't a shop that just wants hands — we want your ideas too. What Gets You Hired:

• High school diploma or GED
• You know your way around basic hand and power tools
• You've got mechanical instincts and can follow instructions — written, spoken, or sketched on a diagram
• Math doesn't scare you: fractions, percentages, ratios, proportions
• You can read a tape measure to 1/32" without blinking
• You can lift 70 lbs with assistance
• You work well with people, not just machines Extra credit if you've got:
• Manufacturing, assembly, or construction experience under your belt
• Blueprint or template reading chops Physical Requirements:
• Frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel or operate office equipment, and reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to talk and hear.
• Required to stand and walk.
• Required to lift, push, pull and/or move up to 70 pounds with assistance.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Special-Lite will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work Environment:
• Safety glasses are always required on the production floor.
• Hearing protection is required in designated areas. Benefits at Special-Lite: A competitive salary and opportunities to advance in your career are just the beginning. Special-Lite offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family, including:
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Performance and Holiday Bonuses
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Tuition Reimbursement/Educational Assistance and Professional Development Support
• Parental Leave
• Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays About Special-Lite: We manufacture custom door, frame, and interior solutions for new construction and retrofit projects across educational, commercial, institutional, industrial, and municipal applications—combining hands-on craftsmanship with advanced technology to deliver exceptional quality, performance, and reliability. Built to last in high usage and challenging environments, our high-quality and made-to-order solutions are unique in the industry. The products we build welcome, protect, and enhance spaces across the U.S. and beyond. You would probably recognize more than a few of our famous customers. As one of the largest volume producers of commercial FRP doors, you may have even already walked through one of our solutions. For more than 55 years, we have been driven to grow through relationships as strong as our products. We are committed to the success of our employees, our customers, and our communities. We stand behind our products with passion and excellent customer service. People. Passion. Performance. Visit special-lite.com to learn more. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic

About Special Lite Inc

We don’t just build doors—we build careers. For more than 50 years, we’ve been a leader in manufacturing and engineering architectural products for new construction and replacement installations. Our commercial entrance systems, restroom partitions, and interior products feature a unique blend of hands‑on craftsmanship, cutting‑edge technology, customization, and innovative design. The result? Products built to last and a life‑long career to match. When you join Special‑Lite, you become part of a team that values quality, creativity, and personal commitment. We believe in doing things the right way, not the easy way, and we take pride in building products that help make spaces safer, easier to maintain, more productive, healthier, and inspiring.