With more than 50,000 people employed in advanced manufacturing in Northern Kentucky, this industry and its employees are a major contributor to the region’s economy. The advanced manufacturing sector led BE NKY Growth Partnership’s project wins, announced jobs and capital investment in 2024, project wins and announced jobs in 2023, and project wins and capital investment in 2022.
During these three years, this industry has contributed roughly 1,710 jobs, $503 million in capital investment, and 31 project wins to the Northern Kentucky region.
Those who work in the manufacturing world, from floor workers all the way up to CEOs, have pursued many different career paths to get where they are now.
Mazak president found passion for manufacturing at young age
Dan Janka is president of Mazak Corporation, a world leader in the design and manufacture of productivity-improving machine tool solutions, and he was first introduced to manufacturing as a preteen in his childhood home.
Janka grew up in a farming community in North Central Illinois where his father worked in the cutting tool industry. The family’s basement housed several machines that could turn and mill metal and Janka’s father taught him these skills.
“My dad was a big influence on me. He exposed me to manufacturing at a young age and I never swayed,” said Janka. “I could weld when I was 16 years old and I always reflect on my own experience and wish others could have the same opportunity. I give my dad a lot of credit for opening the door.”
These experiences led Janka to attend a vocational school that supported woodworking, welding and machining. He enrolled during his freshman year, and by the time he graduated high school, he was working as a machine operator.
He couldn’t afford to attend a four-year college right out of high school, so he enrolled at Illinois Valley Community College. In his spare time, he worked at a machine shop to help pay for school. After two years, he earned his associate’s degree through the school’s mechanical technology program then spent two years at Southern Illinois University, where he earned his industrial engineering degree.
“Four-year universities are great, but they are not for everyone,” said Janka. “When I look back to the path I took, I had a lot of options, and I hate to see young people saddled with debt after four years of college and then struggle to find a job.”
At graduation, he had five job offers and ultimately decided to move to Cincinnati to work for Milacron.
“At the time, I had the opportunity to begin my career with the #1 machine tool company in the world and, fast forward to today, I am blessed to be part of Mazak Corporation, the #1 machine tool company in the world,” said Janka.
At Milacron, Janka began in software and controls industry and development, was promoted into proposal engineering management and, at just 31 years old, became general manager of the aerospace and special machine division.
He later became president of Cincinnati Machine, which was eventually acquired by MAG Industrial Automation Systems, a leadership position that enabled him to spend 10 years developing international markets in both Asia and Europe. Nine years ago, he accepted the opportunity to lead Mazak, which was emerging as one of the top machine tool companies in the world.
Janka said he had multiple mentors that were instrumental to the progression of his career, and he enjoys serving as a mentor for those coming after him. He knows how important it is for young people to have someone they can model themselves after.
“When I talk to young people about how to control their career and success, I always tell them to try to outwork everyone,” said Janka. “Have courage and never be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.”
Mazak works closely with schools such as the University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University, but Janka also serves as a major advocate for the trades and alternatives to higher education, with an emphasis on reaching kids as young as middle school.
“We need to learn the needs of the manufacturing community and communicate those needs, exposing young people to great careers in this industry,” said Janka. “Enrollment is up in trade schools and community colleges, and our business is benefitting from unprecedented investment in manufacturing.”
SWECO President exposed to engineering through teacher recommendations
When he was in high school, SWECO President Brian Carr’s teachers nominated him to participate in an “Engineer for a Day” program, giving him the opportunity to visit engineering-related companies throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. It was an experience that really resonated with him.
“It just connected with me,” said Carr. “At that point, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I wanted to get a job with an engineering company before going to college to get a head start and to gain first-hand experience.”
Through a temp agency, he accepted a job at SWECO calculating the mass of steel required to manufacture parts. He later interned at SWECO three times, performing product development work and testing, while attending the University of Louisville for a degree in mechanical engineering.
After college, Carr fielded multiple job offers but ultimately decided to return to SWECO and has worked within its family of companies ever since.
He started full-time as a manufacturing and quality engineer, moved into product development and then into the parent company’s energy equipment and services division. Here, he worked in a variety of roles for about 15 years, but primarily in engineering.
“I had great managers early in my career and I attribute much of my success to their management styles and what I learned from them,” said Carr. “One taught me the technical fundamentals of how SWECO equipment works. The other taught me to work with all individuals across the organization, to make fact-based decisions, and the importance of operating with integrity.”
When Carr started at SWECO, they were owned by Emerson Electric. SWECO was acquired by M-I SWACO, an energy services company (now owned by SLB). Carr moved into the parent company’s engineering team and led the engineering of various types of equipment used on drilling rigs, eventually becoming the director of engineering.
“I had the opportunity to build an engineering team from the ground up for the parent company,” said Carr. “We were able to hire great candidates and developed products that enabled exponential growth for nearly a decade. The most rewarding part of this growth was knowledge sharing and mentoring many that are now leaders in different parts of the organization. The engineering team was only a portion of the success, but it was fun to be a part of a team that realized such fast-paced growth.”
After this, Carr was asked to take the role of vice president of manufacturing for the parent company.
“The most memorable part of my time working with the manufacturing organization was implementing lean manufacturing and empowering all employees to improve how we work,” said Carr. “This was a substantial culture shift that produced rewards quickly.”
Carr was then asked to lead the SWECO business in 2016 and has served in this role since.
“The decision to remain at SWECO and its parent company long term was easy because of the people and the culture,” said Carr. “SWECO serves hundreds of industries and thousands of customers. Each customer’s application is unique, so you learn something new every day. Providing customized products and solutions is challenging, but our highly skilled and knowledgeable employees work as a team to deliver. This has enabled SWECO to steadily grow and maintain global market leadership. I am fortunate to work for a company that internally develops its people and provides many opportunities across the organization.”
Science degree and career in footwear leads to manufacturing role for USPCC President
The United States Playing Card Company and its flagship brand, Bicycle®, have been a source of fun and connection for millions of families and friends across the world since 1867, predating many modern forms of entertainment.
USPCC President Craig Townsend is determined to continue growing card play worldwide, emphasizing that everyone has their own origin story when it comes to cards. His story began with his grandmother, with whom he and his sister would play gin rummy.
“Those are some of my most cherished memories,” said Townsend. “Playing cards has always been part of my story and I always relate it to getting together with family and friends. Later in life, my friends and I would play Euchre or Poker, and it was as if those connections never faded, just waiting for us to sit back down at the table.”
Today, Townsend leads a company that produced over 100 million decks of playing cards in 2024, made proudly in Erlanger, Kentucky. But his path to leadership wasn’t linear. Townsend grew up in Toronto, Canada, and attended university for environmental science and biology. In the 1990s, Townsend found there weren’t a lot of employment opportunities available in that field, so he entered into Woolworth Corporation’s Management Training Program teaching him the skills of operations, planning and buying.
As a buyer of footwear at Foot Locker Canada and The Hudson’s Bay Company, the merchant mentality and consumer-centric approach really solidified. After being recruited by Nike Canada, he learned the wholesale side of the business which led to his global career at Elan Polo International, where he lived and worked in three countries and gained a first-hand, truly global experience working internationally and visiting manufacturing operations around the world.
“My long, winding journey included more than 40 trips to China, a deep dive into product development, and a lifelong fascination with how things are made,” Townsend explained. “It also gave me a global perspective.”
Since joining Cartamundi, the global parent company of USPCC, Townsend has embraced the company’s consumers, understanding their behaviors, and how brands can deliver meaningful, high-quality experiences.
“We’re proud to continue manufacturing the world’s best playing cards right here in Northern Kentucky,” said Townsend. “As part of a global company, we bring world-class capabilities while staying deeply connected to our local community. Our approach ensures we deliver for consumers with both quality and care.”
Understanding a non-linear career path, Townsend is implementing programs at USPCC to help employees find the career that suits them best and allows them to showcase their innate skills and abilities. He wants young candidates to work in multiple areas of the business to find a role that is mutually beneficial for themselves and the company.
This personal experience drives Townsend to truly engage with employees from all levels to further understand the inner workings of the company. This engagement helps him better understand the business and demonstrates a level of care and camaraderie that wasn’t there before. He views team development as a win-win situation where commitments to employee development and process improvement enhance employee health, safety and retention, and ensures a strong culture throughout the organization.
Townsend sees the future of USPCC as deeply rooted in community, craftsmanship, and connection.
“Our mission is to ensure that we never let the world forget the joys that playing cards can bring to families and friends, something that has been sustained for a thousand years,” said Townsend. “We are the original form of entertainment and play. Before movies and video games, playing cards have been there and will continue to be there.”
There is no one path that leads to a career or leadership position in manufacturing. Local opportunities include programs at four-year colleges, work experience through the Northern Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program at Gateway Community & Technical College, and even on-the-job training available at major manufacturers, giving young Northern Kentuckians many options to get their foot in the door of the manufacturing world. In October 2024, 800 Northern Kentucky students also toured 33 local manufacturers to get a glimpse of careers available to them. BE NKY Growth Partnership is heavily focused on the advanced manufacturing industry, pursuing opportunities for business attraction, retention and expansion, and investing in education organizations to train the next generation of manufacturing employees. For more information, or to set up a manufacturing tour, contact BE NKY Workforce Development Manager Lorraine O’Moore at lomoore@be-nky.com
