K: Tell me about your career path and how you ended up at Kadant Unaflex.

I started working as a drafter at Kadant Unaflex part time in 2016 while working on my degree at a local college. After I graduated in early 2017, I was given the opportunity to work in technical sales in the fabric expansion joint department and then in 2019 I was asked to manage that department after my manager and mentor retired.

K: What would describe as some of your greatest accomplishments in the past year?

This year we were coming out of the COVID pandemic, and I was starting to do more outside sales work for the department. I am proud of the relationships I have been able to build with both new and old customers through sales calls and trade shows. I am also proud that I have been able to work with my team to make our response to customer emergency shutdowns even better than it was before. We have had times this year where a customer has called with a catastrophic failure, and we have been able to have a product made and on-site the same day.

K: What are some of your interests and hobbies in your free time?

It always depends on where I am living, because I like to do lots of outdoor activities. I absolutely love skiing, rock climbing, and scuba diving. Lately I have gotten really into woodworking. I have always enjoyed building things (Legos were my favorite as a kid), and when I started to need furniture, I thought, why not just build it instead?

K: What are some of the challenges your department faces?

Nearly everything we make in fabric expansion joints is custom. That means that we must have an intimate knowledge of how the products work to make sure the customer gets the right product for the job. It is a challenge, but it makes the job more fun. It keeps you on your toes and makes things more interesting.