Joe Grewe, through more than forty years of manufacturing experience, has managed to hone his manufacturing management proficiencies while developing great leadership talents in related areas; including sales, marketing, engineering, product development and finance. His experience spans a wide range of manufacturing processes from basic machining and assembly to forging, casting (aluminum and iron), powder metal, plastic extrusion, hot forming, coating, and even glass container manufacturing. He is very comfortable operating in and leading a variety of companies, from small entrepreneurial operations to multi-billion-dollar global corporations.
His manufacturing experience encompasses a broad spectrum of positions, environments and geographies. He started his career in manufacturing engineering positions in the automotive industry and moved into shop floor supervision, skilled trades leadership, manufacturing R and D, plant management, and finally into corporate business leadership. He has had responsibility for operations throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Regardless of the business or the location, he has always had a primary focus on employee safety and the environment. During his very diverse career he has gained great experience in union and non-union environments, has implemented lean manufacturing concepts, and has launched major organizational structural changes to improve operations and better serve the customer.
His career has led him into many turnaround opportunities. He fully appreciates that each turnaround may require different skill sets in order to improve a company’s performance. Company improvement is frequently a matter of addressing manufacturing basics such as improved output, reduced costs, and enhanced quality performance. Other times it requires a focus on sales and marketing, including renegotiating contracts and even abdicating business that is not the right fit for the operation capabilities. Joe is a numbers guy when it comes to measuring performance and tracking progress. He is focused on watching for and reacting to trends in an effort to enhance performance and avoid possible pitfalls.
Joe received his mechanical engineering degree and his MBA from the University of Detroit and has furthered his education through seminars, training, relationships, and experiences. During his career he has had the opportunity to sit on many advisory boards and non-profits sharing his knowledge and helping many organizations in need.