Our Team

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 22

Career Background

My career started in manufacturing roles in both the aerospace and automobile manufacturing spaces where I got to work in some of the most advanced automated factories in America. In 1995, I left my roles in corporate America and went out on my own, starting an engineering design business.  In 2001, I and my family became the third family to own and operate Dane Manufacturing in its 100+ year history.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the fact that our company gets to play a critical role in helping so many businesses grow and be successful.  But what I really enjoy the most is the good people at Dane that I get to work with. We have a strong culture of people that treat each other well, and rise to any challenge.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time out on the water in my boat with my wife and kids.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I’m an entrepreneur at heart.  I’m always excited about trying new things and that mindset led me to being able to start my own company at age 30.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Dr. Bob Pricer at the UW Madison Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship gave me advice that I’ve implemented in running my businesses.  He cautioned against entering into ownership structures with partners and mixing an A type company (volume manufacturer) and a B type company (Custom product or service). He also stated that every day you own a company you work on managing cash and cash flow.  I’ve found all these to be words of wisdom!

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 5

Career Background

Prior to beginning my career, I earned degrees at UW Parkside (BS) and UW Milwaukee (MBA). I have spent the last 30+ years working in various manufacturing companies managing accounting and finance operations.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the variety of work and seeing Dane continue to grow.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy camping and being outdoors with my family. We are still working towards our goal of visiting every national park.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work on several assignments in Ireland. I have since forgotten most of the Gaelic I learned, but I do hope to go back and visit.

 What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Allow yourself to be uncomfortable and strive to reach the big goals.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 20

Career Background

I attended UW-Madison and earned my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.  Over the course of my 20 year career at Dane, I began in engineering designing and CNC programming parts and was closely involved with all operations. I now work closely with our sales team and account managers to ensure we always meet or exceed our customer’s needs and expectations.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Working with people and finding solutions for our customers. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy being with family and friends, making home improvements, hunting, fishing, shooting sporting clays and playing cribbage.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 1

Career Background

I have an MBA in marketing from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Prior to coming to Dane, I spent 20 years developing a globally recognized brand at a market leader in the energy sector.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy finding creative ways to tell Dane’s unique brand story in a way that opens the door for us to serve more customers.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love sports and spend a significant amount of time watching my 4 kids compete in soccer, basketball and football.  I’m also an avid golfer.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

When my golf game was at its peak, I once shot 67 (-5) at University Ridge.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 2

Career Background

I have over 15 years of experience in estimating and project management within the construction and manufacturing industries and have served as Senior Estimator and Project Manager at Dane since 2022.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy taking on new projects and driving operational efficiencies.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my family and enjoy watching my kids play softball and baseball throughout the midwest.  When I have some spare time, I also enjoy playing golf.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 11

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 9

Career Background

I have an Associate’s Degree in mechanical/electrical design and over 28 years of experience with PCB design, mechanical design of plastics, machined parts, sheet metal, and also CAD administration.  I have worked for medical, consumer products, technology based, thermoforming, and sporting/government optics companies.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The variety of work that we get to do here from the data center designs, robot welding fixtures, and customer products.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have been on a couple cruises in the last year.  I have also traveled all over the Midwest and east coast for our kid’s sports.  We also like going to comedy shows and concerts.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I played “semi-pro” football and competitive flag football in places like WI, IL, and a national tournament out in Las Vegas.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 2

Career Background

I attended University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and received my degree in accounting. Since graduating college, I have worked in various roles in the accounting industry. My career started in public accounting and then transitioned to the private sector where I worked in the medical, engineering, and manufacturing field.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The people.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Spending time with my family at the family cabin up north fishing and swimming or staying at home going for bike rides and playing tag.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

When I was 12, I had a pool record for fastest 25 yard freestyle swim.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Life is a garden, dig it!

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 1

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 10

Career Background

I have worked my way through Dane, starting in Blanking back in 2014. Throughout the years, I’ve helped to create our production flow and now manage procurement, scheduling, and template management.

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

The team, it’s fun to watch everyone adapt and grow to our new challenges.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy the outdoors, fishing, golfing, and camping.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

No amount of money has bought a second of time.  

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 3

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love working with the people. I like working with numbers and finance.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

We just recently dabbled in travel and discovered that I love it! I love doing word searches and hanging out with my family and my dogs.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I am a pretty shy person.  I can also drive almost all farm equipment.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t let anyone tell you no, you cannot do it. If you have the passion and drive to do something and put forth the effort, you can succeed. But it’s not always the easy way.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 1.5

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy seeing my ideas and designs come to life. It’s one thing to put things down on paper, but seeing designs I create hit the manufacturing floor and be made is my favorite part of my career.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have been riding motorcycles since I was 16. Upgrading and working on them come along with that as well. Additionally, I enjoy hunting as well as casual shooting, such as sporting clays. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t be afraid to fail, but don’t make the mistake more than once and always learn from it.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: Less than 1

Career Background

I have a passion for creativity. With expertise in graphic design, web development and electronic media, I bring a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to my role, ensuring effective communication of the brand message and enhanced market visibility.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to design and create. Whether it’s content, marketing materials, or digital assets, I love bringing ideas to life and seeing how they enhance our brand and presence.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I love spending time outdoors during the summer, enjoying activities like hiking, fishing, boating, and BBQs with family and friends. I also enjoy traveling and trying new foods.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I’ve worked on a few Hollywood movie and television sets ranging from a production assistant to main character stand-in and featured extra.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Embrace failures as learning opportunities and always keep pushing forward because you are stronger than you think.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 6.5

Career Background

I have 30+ years in this field including government work. I hold a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree for Business. I was trained “backwards” here at Dane. I was hired in Assembly and worked my way backwards thru the plant and ended up in the office. This has given me an extensive view of how things here work and fit together when we have issues in the office with different areas.

 What do you enjoy most about your job?

 I like to problem solve and to serve a company I have an immense amount of respect for. The team I serve on, is one of the best I have worked with.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Stained glass, reading, gardening, spending time with kids, volunteering with the homeless/domestic violence shelters

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I also hold an Associates Degree in Applied Science for Massage Therapy.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Treat everyone with respect regardless of their station in life because someday that could easily be you.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 3

Career Background

I received a Bachelor of Science from UW Platteville. Prior to working at Dane, I worked for 2 other manufacturing companies and now have over 37 years of experience doing estimating, project management and sales.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It gives me a lot of satisfaction to bid a project, win it, and then see the product functioning and meeting the requirements of the customer.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Spending time gardening, bird watching, playing softball and spending time with my family.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I collect pedal tractors and also have hybridize day lilies.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 19

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 1+

Career Background

I went to school and received majors in history and political science.  After completing my degrees, I had short stints working as an athletic director, soccer coach, and cabinet maker.   Prior to coming to Dane, I spent the bulk of my career at a bicycle parts manufacturing company where I worked for 17 years and did a variety of jobs from customer service, planning, purchasing, sourcing and international/domestic logistics.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy helping to make Dane a more efficient, productive and enjoyable place to work.  I love fixing problems and coming up with creative solutions to give Dane every advantage we can gain. I also like fostering mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers that help our businesses grow.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like taking care of my house and making creations. I have a woodworking shop, where I make furniture and bowls.  I like cooking, vacationing with my family, and exercising.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

At work, the best advice I ever received was from a supervisor in the form of a constructive review.  He gave me feedback on how he and other people at my place of work perceived my interactions with them.  It was a turning point for me in how I conducted myself. It taught me to pay attention to how I act and to try to think about other peoples’ perspectives.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 8

Career Background

Utilizing my accounting background, my career has consistently gravitated towards technology-focused roles, specializing in the development and administration of accounting and ERP systems.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the intersection of technology and manufacturing. I enjoy leveraging my expertise in accounting and ERP systems to improve efficiency and support data-driven decision-making. Seeing the impact of our solutions on the production floor, from reducing waste to optimizing workflows, is incredibly rewarding. Additionally, I value the environment where people are the most important piece of the puzzle, working together to achieve our common goals.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have always enjoyed playing golf and hockey, that is, when I am not coaching hockey or baseball.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Is that what you want engraved on your gravestone?  Let it go!”

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 3

Career Background

I graduated from Waunakee High School back in 2021. I’m currently attending Madison College, pursuing my associate degree in civil engineering.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Something that I enjoy most about my job is problem solving. The satisfaction of tackling complex challenges and finding creative solutions.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy reading about science topics especially anything related to Quantum Physics, which I find fascinating. I also like to go out with friends, explore new areas and find new adventures.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice that I have ever receive was to take responsibility for my actions. Experiencing and learning from my mistakes is essential to become a better person.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 10

Career Background

I have over 28 years of experience in the shipping industry and work as the Shipping Team Lead here at Dane Manufacturing.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy the people I get to work with. I also enjoy solving challenging problems.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I raced cars for over 27 years.  I spent 5 years in street stock, 17 years in limited late model and 5 years in super late model racing. Now, I help my nephew with his racing and enjoy watching.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Look at the big picture not just what is going on right now.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 2

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really love everything about my job. I feel I have the best job in the world.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy traveling around the world.  I also really like meeting new people.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 3

Career Background 

Before coming to Dane, I was a production lead at a plastic manufacturing company for over 8 years. Here at Dane, I spent a year as a team lead and now have served as a production supervisor for almost 2 years.

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

I have a fantastic team and we have created a culture within our company that brings everyone together like family.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like to fish, go camping and spend time with my family 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

If you ever get in a spot where you think there is no solution, redirect and find a solution 

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 8

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 3

Career Background

I have a degree from UW Oshkosh in kinesiology, coaching, strength and conditioning and worked as a fitness professional for many years. Here at Dane, I started as a general laborer and I have worked in many different departments. As Dane continues to grow, so do I in my own roles within the company.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The people. I have a great team and we work well together.  We expect the best out of each other every day when we step through the door.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy staying active. This includes exercising, playing and coaching sports, fly fishing and mountain biking. I coach my son’s baseball, football, and hockey teams and enjoy teaching young athletes the fundamentals of all sports. I also enjoy spending time with loved ones.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I broke my neck when I was 12. I have a C1/C2 fusion, I am lucky to be alive.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

If you are going to do something, do it 100%. Whether its your job or doing the dishes, do it to the best of your ability and you can rest easy known you did it with 100% effort. Effort and attitude are two things YOU can control.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 5

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy assisting the team learn, succeed, and grow. Coming to work and getting to work with dedicated and positive minded people is very fulfilling and contributes to many successful projects.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have many hobbies.  I enjoy working with computers and electronics. I enjoy golfing and attending sporting events, as well as playing musical instruments and attending music events.  I also enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors.  I like to go watch dirt track racing as well.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Pride is defined as doing your best when no one is watching.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: 7

Career Background

I began my career at Dane working on projects in the engineering department and eventually transitioned into a sales role. After working with customers, I became excited about making sure we meet their requirements and now lead the quality department.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

When challenges arise, I enjoy investigating into the issue and working with production associates to come to an effective solution.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy both gaming and golfing, especially with friends and family.

What is something unique about you that others might not know?

I’m a huge Star Wars fan! In fact, I’ve named both my cats after iconic characters from the series: Luke and Leia.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

It’s okay to not have all the answers, but the key is to never stop asking questions.

Years Employed at Dane Manufacturing: Less than 1

Career Background

I have a degree from University of Wisconsin River Falls.  Prior to coming to Dane, I spent 19 years as a Deputy in a jail.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the sense of accomplishment.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like hunting and I also coach softball.

 What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

You never succeed at something you never try.