Kenneth Levake

Strategic manufacturing experience with 15+ years driving manufacturing network decisions, make-vs-buy strategies, and capital investment justification across complex environments. Proven ability to translate operational, technical, and financial data into fact-based recommendations for senior leadership, balancing cost, risk, resilience, and growth. Results-driven engineer with expertise in lean manufacturing, multi-disciplinary project management, product development, and design.

Proven strategic thinker and problem solver, adept at analyzing complex projects, problems and challenges.

Senior Manufacturing Engineer at LUCAS MILHAUPT (2025-01 – Present)

Directly influenced operational initiatives and plant metrics of improving part quality and plant safety, as well as lowering product delivery times and costs.

• Performed make-vs-buy and sourcing assessments for new and existing manufacturing processes, balancing internal capability, supplier risk, capital investment, and delivery constraints to support business growth.
• End-to-end involvement for capital equipment strategy, including specification development, supplier alignment, acceptance testing, and transition to operations—ensuring alignment with cost, quality, and capacity objectives.
• Assessed manufacturing capacity utilization across rolling, inspection, and finishing operations; identified bottlenecks and developed expansion and tooling strategies to maintain delivery performance ahead of demand.
• Delivered operational risk mitigation strategies through inspection automation, redundancy planning, and process standardization across Strip and HPA value streams.
• Partnered with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and Finance to develop fact-based investment justifications (capital cost, operational impact, risk mitigation, and ROI) for senior leadership approval.

Principal Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing at MODINE MANUFACTURING (2020-01 – 2024-12)

Supported manufacturing engineering and project management to optimize processes, implement new technologies, and drive continuous improvement across global plant operations.

• Managed supply risk and tariff exposure by relocating and re-balancing manufacturing capacity, preserving supply continuity while reducing cost.
• Conducted equipment sourcing, justification, and capital deployment decisions, including multi-site technology standardization and supplier strategy alignment.
• Backed global manufacturing footprint optimization initiatives supporting cost reduction, quality improvement, and supply continuity across multiple plants.
• Collaborated with NPD team on trial builds, equipment specification, capital budgeting, and plant integration, leading multi-disciplinary team to implement heavy-duty folded tubes into radiator cores, lowering product costs and improving customer satisfaction through enhanced internal cleanliness.
• Supported manufacturing integration by aligning new processes, equipment, and operating standards into existing production networks.
• Deployed vision-scale conveyance system to detect copperless paste application on stainless steel turbulator fins, improving quality control and ensuring compliance with process specifications through standardized plant SOPs.

Advanced Manufacturing Engineer at VILTER MANUFACTURING - EMERSON COMM. & RES. SOLUTIONS (2016-01 – 2019-12)

Managed procurement of new production equipment, including justification, budgeting, infrastructure setup, machine installation, fixture modification, tooling requirements, and programming.

• Developed manufacturing and quality process plans for NPD stage gate milestones, including product design for manufacturability, costing, and scheduling to shorten new product development (NPD) time to market.
• Collaborated on manufacturing strategy development for new product introductions, including supplier selection, internal capability assessment, and scalability planning.
• Optimized core manufacturing competencies and led make vs. buy team to outsource non-critical items alleviating production bottlenecks.
• Provided daily production trouble-shooting support to shop floor through plan, do, check, act (PDCA) and supplier, quality, delivery, cost (SQDC) boards which allowed for quick root cause identification and resolution of daily production issues.
• Led Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen events, and 5S initiatives that reduced unplanned equipment downtime, optimized product flow, improved productivity, and lowered production lead times.

Manufacturing / Maintenance Engineering Manager at IEA LLC (2012-01 – 2016-12)

Oversaw improvements to manufacturing processes, equipment, and facility layouts, while providing technical support, managing resources, and developing documentation to optimize production efficiency and quality.

Application Engineer at WISCONSIN COIL SPRING (2009-01 – 2012-12)

Responsible for providing technical support on spring design and production, coordinating with suppliers and partners to maintain quality and cost goals, preparing detailed cost estimates, and issuing specifications to optimize workshop efficiency.

Design / Manufacturing Engineer at ISP STITCHING & BINDERY PRODUCTS (2006-01 – 2009-12)

Oversaw product design, managed projects for new and existing lines, and coordinated with the team to ensure efficient execution throughout the product lifecycle.

Project Engineer, Body Weld at TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING OF KENTUCKY (2005-01 – 2006-12)

Strategic planning, lean manufacturing implementation, vendor collaboration, and capital project management to optimize operations and support model changes.

BS in Mechanical Engineering – University of Wisconsin - Madison (2003)