Daniel Yoder
STI/SPFA recently spoke with Daniel Yoder, Vice President of Operations & Purchasing at Kennedy Tank and Manufacturing Co., Inc., about his career in the steel fabrication industry.
STI/SPFA: Tell us about the history of your company.
Dan Yoder: Kennedy Tank and Manufacturing Co., Inc. is a 5th generation family-owned company and we are in our 127th year of operation. We specialize in steel storage tanks, pressure vessels and heat exchangers, and we have a Field Division that works around the country to erect new tanks and repair existing equipment.
We have just completed one of the largest expansions in the company’s history, adding 12,000 square feet of manufacturing space as well as a new pad and utilities for testing all of our products. The expansion was largely focused on allowing us to more safely and efficiently build large diameter tanks and vessels. With the newly added manufacturing bays and equipment, we can easily build 16’ diameter tanks and vessels.
STI/SPFA: How did you get your start in the industry?
Yoder: I was originally working at Fastenal as a supplier to Kennedy Tank. Shortly after I became the General Manager of our local branch, Kennedy Tank became my largest account and I was dealing with them multiple times a week. In 2015, when a position in the estimating department opened, Bill Kennedy contacted me to see if I was interested in applying. Based on my interactions with the team at Kennedy, I was excited to have the opportunity to possibly join the team.
Once I was hired, I spent about eighteen months in the estimating department, which provided a great opportunity to learn about all of the products we build. After my time in estimating I moved into the production side of the business to work on scheduling, analytics, and operations. Currently, I am the Vice President of Operations and Purchasing.
Kennedy Tank and Manufacturing Co., Inc. in Indianapolis
STI/SPFA: Who has inspired you in your career?
Yoder: I am very lucky to have the chance to work with many people at Kennedy that have extensive experience in this industry. We have several people with 30 and 40 plus years of knowledge.
But one person who stands out as an inspiration is our Vice President of Engineering, John Cochran. He has had an unwavering commitment to helping Kennedy Tank produce the highest quality products for over 40 years. He has helped mentor many people at Kennedy Tank over that time, and I am very happy to have been able to learn from him the last 9 years.
STI/SPFA: What’s been your favorite or most memorable moment of your career so far?
Yoder: I think my favorite moment at Kennedy was when we launched our new internal digital information platform. In an effort to share as much up to the minute information with the entire company, the team worked for over six months creating digital dashboards within Microsoft Power BI. At that point, we began to install monitors and touch screens to replace white boards around the shop and office to display that information.
Since then, we have continued to increase the digital solutions we use every day to allow the team to work more efficiently and make the best decisions based on the information at hand. While we started with just one touchscreen monitor in our shop office, we currently have four 86” screens and many smaller ones in use. Seeing the whole team use these solutions everyday has been very rewarding.
Kennedy Tank recently added 12,000 square feet of manufacturing space
STI/SPFA: What advice would you give someone who is interested in working in the industry?
Yoder: Don’t be intimidated to join, even if you have no experience. I worked in retail sales for over twelve years, then industrial supply for five years. I had no experience in manufacturing or steel tanks and pressure vessels. But if you have the opportunity to join a company with a great culture in this industry it can be a very rewarding experience and career.
STI/SPFA: What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing the industry in the next three to five years?
Yoder: I do not expect it to last 3-5 years, but currently I think our biggest challenge is in the raw material supply market. Many things are currently affecting it, but supply levels of some material are low, lead times are long, and prices change daily. When projects can take six months from order to delivery, all of those factors create a challenge in delivering a quality product on time and avoiding passing on market surcharge increases to the end users.
STI/SPFA: How has STI/SPFA Membership helped you and your company succeed and grow in today’s marketplace?
Yoder: Being part of the STI/SPFA community continues to help me grow in my role and in the industry. Attending the annual meetings provides great leadership training and networking opportunities. I have also been able to be a part of the Emerging Leaders Committee the last few years which has provided additional growth opportunities.
