Ken has more than three decades of manufacturing experience in the wood industry, with an emphasis on efficiency and automation. He’s helped build state-of-the art manufacturing facilities from the ground up while leading operational teams to success. He’s also been involved in the full automation of older plants, retrofitting equipment and facilities to reduce labor needs by 25%.

As Royal’s production manager, Ken pioneered efforts to streamline the prefabrication process using proven techniques from the manufacturing industry. Royal’s prefabrication department more than doubled in size during his first year with the company and is on track to grow even larger over time.

Ken’s virtual construction team quickly saw early successes, finding issues that could be rectified in house before site construction began, field testing prototypes, and producing prefabricated components in the warehouse in as little as a quarter of the time needed to produce them in the field. This approach not only enables Royal to reduce costs, but has resulted in more consistency and quality while enhancing the safety of field crews.

Ken holds Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma certifications from the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining Royal, he was honored with the Louisiana Pacific Corporate Silver Technology and Quality Innovation Award, as well as the Louisiana Pacific Technical and Quality Innovation Award (the gold standard for the company).

In his spare time, Ken enjoys all types of fishing, including fly fishing for trout, spin fishing for bass, and ocean fishing for salmon. He also coached his sons’ baseball teams for 16 years.

“I enjoy the fast pace and team spirit of Royal. We work hard to help each other and ensure our client’s needs are not only met but exceeded. Integrity and keeping our word are very important to us. I also really enjoy the competitive atmosphere we have here. Whatever someone else is doing, we want to do it better. We’re always pushing the boundaries as a company and for each other. We’re very proud of what we do and want Royal to be number one. I love the loyalty that I see to the company and how that dovetails into loyalty to each other. We’re competitive people who also watch out for each other.”