It takes Teamwork to be Successful WMC Incoming Chairman Bob Kamphuis
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obert D. Kamphuis is Chairman, President and CEO of Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC) where approximately 2,000 employee shareholders in 17 manufacturing facilities nationwide have built the company into the # 1 fabricator in the U.S. for the last five years in a row. MEC achieves superior results based on sound planning through great people who understand and achieve the MEC mission. That mission is customer success, value creation, continuous improvement and PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In Daily Excellence).
Bob grew up on a family dairy farm near Alto, Wisconsin not far from MEC’s headquarters. At a young age he learned the importance of good character, teamwork, the value of hard work, planning ahead, taking good care of what you have and being proud of a job well done. He also learned that even the best plans can be adversely affected by things beyond our control, like the weather. That’s where lessons in perseverance, determination and “saving for a rainy day” were learned along with helping others when there was a family sickness, injury or bereavement at a neighboring farm. Through his church, school, family and family friends, Bob counted himself fortunate to have many positive role models to point him in the right direction while having fun and enjoying the people around him. Those positive role models, great people to work with, strong mentors, an attitude of confidence coupled with humility and hope, a love of learning and applying that knowledge to ever more complex people and business issues, a competitive spirit and an inquisitive nature were the influences that formed his foundation and shaped his outlook.
Bob earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater then started his career and became a CPA at Arthur Young & Company, now Ernst & Young. While there, clients such as Harley Davidson, Oshkosh Corporation, Giddings & Lewis and the people who worked there stoked his interest in manufacturing. Bob spent nearly 19 years of his career at Giddings & Lewis, Inc. as Corporate Controller, Treasurer with the last nine years as General Manager and then President of their factory automation division. It was during his time with Giddings & Lewis that many of his management, leadership and technical skills were enhanced and polished by his mentors and colleagues and the lesson of “Every Success Story is a People Story” was learned.
Bob joined MEC in September of 2005 and found a place and culture where his background and experience were a great fit. From the employee ownership culture of an ESOP that aligns results with rewards to the rural communities where MEC has its facilities and employees, this felt like home. MEC’s growth story started in 2006 with strategic planning meetings and a mission that is still alive and well today, providing the foundation for tomorrow’s success. And it should come as no surprise that at MEC like everywhere else, “Every Success Story is a People Story.” The success stories are many and each one is unique. Whether it’s a state-of-the-art technology application, tooling design from a 3D printer, or the simple story of someone staying the extra hour to make sure a rush job from a customer gets delivered on time, it’s still a People Story. MEC’s “People Story” includes a
Kamphuis inside the MEC plant
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