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On Wednesday, May 1, 2019
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Q&As with Adam Kane
Adam, you’ve been with AHT since 2002. Describe your career path.
I started part-time while attending college. I actually took on a serious role very early at AHT - I became the only Furnace Operator on 1st shift. When I completed school, I received an offer from our owner Gary Sharp and started to work full-time and became a Training Lead Operator.
A few years later, I moved into the first Senior Heat Treat Technician role at our Burton Ave. facility in Waterloo, Iowa. As we kind of departmentalized, I took the position of Furnace Operations Specialist, overseeing our large furnace line. In 2016, I was promoted to Operations Manager and then a year later was promoted to my current position as Plant Manager at our Burton facility.
How do your previous positions help you to serve our customers better?
I have learned every aspect of the shop and know the equipment and our capabilities inside-and-out. I have been involved with almost every project for the past 15+ years and have provided onboarding of many different customers and product lines. Knowing how the equipment functions and what we are capable of doing is a vital part of customer service. Providing customers with accurate information and expertise is a must in our industry.
When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your free time?
I have always been an avid hunter in the fall and winter months, and enjoy boating and golfing in the summer. Huge fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and have been a Detroit fan for some reason my whole life. But the most important thing to me is spending time with my two boys Boden (age 10) & Jackson (age 7).
What exciting things are happening at Burton AHT right now?
A lot to be excited about right now! We are installing 2 brand new Induction Machines this month. These will help increase volume of work and provide us with some top-notch technology to improve efficiencies and through-put in our Induction Dept.
Also, we are breaking ground this month on a building expansion that will house a bunch of non-production related equipment, large storage tanks for process oils, and will add some additional product storage. This expansion is opening up valuable production floor space to allow us to add additional equipment to increase capacity and also create area for additional services.
Last thing, we are undergoing improvements and face lifts throughout the facility - just completed a full overhaul of our lab, with new flooring, wall coloring, desks, and also some state-of-the-art equipment. Next project is going to be a new breakroom for our employees.
Tell us what makes the Burton facility unique from the other AHT properties.
Whereas our other locations focus on nitriding, the Burton facility offers more traditional heat treatments such as:
What professional (or personal) accomplishment are you most proud of?
I would have to say my advancement through the years at AHT. Becoming Operations Manager at the age of 33. Also, I have created some great customer/supplier relationships over the years that I really value.
What is one thing people may not know about Adam Kane?
I am a volunteer Fireman/EMR in the city of Urbana.
What is one thing our customers may not know about AHT?
We pride ourselves on living and breathing our Core Values which we refer to as our "Family Values". The family atmosphere was established so many years ago from our owner, Gary Sharp, and has only grown stronger to this day. (See our core values on the right.)
Now, a series of quick random questions:
- Favorite Movie: Step Brothers
- First Job: Farm Hand (high school)
- Favorite Food: Italian
- Favorite Sport: Football
- Person Who Has Influenced You: My dad
- Favorite Vacation: Orlando, Florida with my boys
- Favorite Quote: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”
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