Congratulations to the 2025 RISE Award recipients Kayla Kolomyski and Dave McMillan!
Since 2004, Applied Manufacturing Technologies has recognized two employees each year as embodying the company’s core values of respect, integrity, support and excellence. Employees are nominated anonymously by their peers and the management team meets for the difficult task of selecting just two recipients for the award.
The RISE Awards were created to recognize the exemplary actions of AMT’s engineers, sales persons, technicians, and back-office staff; executives and engineering managers are not eligible.
AMT’s core values are the characteristics that define what the company stands for. It is these values that form the basis for our operations and the decisions that are made at our company. AMT’s core values are:
R - Respect for the Individual – We're all unique and each of us has something valuable to contribute. We not only recognize that, we wholeheartedly embrace it.
I - Integrity – We are stand-up men and women. We say what we do and do what we say.
S - Supports the AMT Team – We enjoy working as a team, supporting one another, getting more done by using our combined energy.
E - Excellence in Reputation – A part of something special – not every company is like AMT and we like it that way. We're proud of who we are.
AMT CEO Mike Jacobs encourages employees to submit their nominations each year. “It is a great opportunity to recognize someone who has gone the extra mile for AMT employees or our customers, and consistently displays our core values. I stand back and look at the last 34+ years of my work at AMT and I can’t believe what we’ve done together. I’m humbled that such an elite group of men and women choose to develop their careers with each other and with me.”
This year’s RISE Award recipients are:
Kayla Kolomyski, Controls Engineer
and
David McMillan, Senior Application Engineer
“Kayla has a great personality and always willing to help anyone. Always first to ask if anyone needs help. Always friendly and personable. She works great with others. She's a great employee and I so enjoy working with her.”
"Kayla has stepped up as a lead on some of AMT's largest projects. On-site, she is happy to jump in and help, while also allowing the other engineers to use their abilities to accomplish the work. The customers appreciate her good communication and ideas to simplify processes."
"Kayla is always willing to help troubleshoot issues, even in her off hours ensuring we help our customers get solutions to their issues quickly."
“Dave’s dedication to AMT is truly unparalleled. He consistently goes above and beyond to support his coworkers and our customers, living out AMT’s core values every day.
Respect for the Individual –Dave readily shares his expertise and takes the time to help others understand complex challenges. His patience and willingness to assist anyone who asks fosters a positive and supportive environment.
Integrity – When Dave gives his word, he delivers. He approaches every task with honesty and a commitment to doing what is right for both AMT and the customer.
Supports the AMT Team – Dave is a reliable resource and collaborator. By openly sharing knowledge and stepping in wherever needed, he strengthens the team’s capabilities and ensures we succeed together.
Excellence in Reputation – Dave is focused on providing customers with the best possible solutions, ensuring that every interaction reflects the quality and professionalism AMT stands for. His efforts play a key role in upholding our industry-leading reputation.
Dave’s actions exemplify the core values that define AMT. His exceptional commitment, teamwork, and customer focus make him a deserving candidate for the Core Value Award."
This year, there were a total of 23 nominees - a remarkable number, considering each one is nominated by their peers. Testimonials are submitted without revealing the nominator’s identity.
Dan has worked with several services customers and they always are impressed! His excellence in reputation supporting AMT is clearly seen. The companies will keep Dan as long as they can and will also request him back when needed. Dan communicates well and is a pleasure to work with for AMT and its customers!
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Brad was instrumental in completing the work on [client project]. He jumped in wherever the need was, from install to startup support. He is always looking to learn and offering to assist. His attitude brings a smile to team.
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Brad is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team out, whether it be jumping on tools, helping out with wiring onsite or in the shop and makes sure when issues come up a solution is found.
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Devin does whatever he can to help make AMT's projects successful. He impresses me with his ability to help others understand problems at hand and how to solve them.
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Devin, although quiet, is a hard working, ready to learn and support, team member. He is great to work with and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, on time! He had a large part in completing the [customer] project.
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Nate demonstrates all four of AMT's core values. He has become known across three [client] locations for his support, knowledge, hard work, and flexibility in supporting whatever he could do in the plant - despite having only worked at one of three plants AMT was engaged with. Nate jumped right back into work at AMT in the same manner, on short-term services jobs and supporting AMT internal jobs. Congrats, Nate!
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I have seen Nate step into many projects on short notice and take them to the finish line. No matter what the challenge, Nate is up to it. He's not afraid to get his tools out and assist with build and wiring on the shop floor. He's a "Do whatever it takes to get the job done", resource. He is easy to work with and supports AMT very well.
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Kayla has a great personality and always willing to help anyone. Always first to ask if anyone needs help. Always friendly and personable. She works great with others. She's a great employee and I so enjoy working with her.
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Kayla has stepped up as a lead on some of AMT's largest projects. On-site, she is happy to jump in and help, while also allowing the other engineers to use their abilities to accomplish the work. The customers appreciate her good communication and ideas to simplify processes.
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Kayla is always willing to help troubleshoot issues, even in her off hours ensuring we help our customers get solutions to their issues quickly.
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Very well rounded employee, Andrew is knowledgeable in many aspects of AMT's daily actives. Andrew helps out where a hand is needed wherever it may be. With his calm demeanor approach in his work it seems he never lets anything slip by him. it is always a joy when his is on our team!
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R - Nicolas is someone you want on your team, regardless of the task. He is a team player, very easy to communicate with and will gladly work on an engineered solution with you until it meets expectations. All while remaining respectful of his peers and those he's working with.
I - There's been a number of instances where some code needed improvement. Instead of not disclosing this, or ignoring it, he brought it up to the internal team as a concern and led the charge on solutions. Integrity of the system is a core value that Nicolas showcases time and time again, which results in well-functioning, high reliability systems.
S - Whether it be support work, or full system startup / debug - Nicolas is always flexible, willing to do what's best for the team and ultimately a great asset for AMT. With his brother recently joining the team, he has been a great mentor and teacher, which has only made him a better engineer as well.
E - While in the field, we have received countless positive reports about Nicolas' efforts. He's been requested specifically by multiple customers and always leaves a customer site on a good note. The customer feedback about Nicolas speaks for itself, so great job Nicolas on representing AMT and what we stand for.
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Addison has really impressed me with his drive and intelligence. He thinks things through while troubleshooting and is willing to chase down some tough issues. He collaborates well with customers and other engineers on the AMT team to deliver successful projects.
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R - If you want to be challenged (in a good way), have good, healthy engineering debates to better a system or overall enjoy working with someone who expects the best, Addison is your guy. While he settles for nothing but the best, he goes about these challenges with utmost respect and a common end goal in mind; deliver a system or service that leaves the end customer happy.
I - For better or worse, Addison is happy to express his concerns on a project. This is an important factor / attribute to maintain throughout engineering, as engineered solutions are meant to be discussed and made as thoroughly as possible. During engineering sessions with Addison, integrity is displayed time and time again as all of these discussions and decisions remain in the room they took place in, as the ultimate goal is to provide the best solution, not have the "winning" solution. Addison is a walking representation of "No 'I' in Team".
S - From System work to field service, Addison's ability to flex back and forth while remaining engaged, excited and applying his full attention to the job at hand does not go unnoticed. Addison is a team player at heart and finds ways to enjoy any opportunity that is presented to him. This energy is contagious and spreads to those who get to work with him.
E - Some of our biggest lifelong partners have recognized Addison as a fantastic engineer to work with. He has been specifically requested back at these customers countless times. The relationships that have been created and strengthened at these customers wouldn't be the same without Addison's hard work, and attention to the bigger picture when on a job site.
Great work Addison - It's been a pleasure to watch you grow and develop as a strong, versatile engineer.
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Mike has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this industry and he is always eager to support the AMT team in any way that he can, even if that means stepping outside of his normal responsibilities. He shows respect by considering how his actions will affect others and he always strives to build a reputation of excellence for AMT.
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Ethan takes great pride is doing high quality work and building things that AMT can be proud of. He is always eager to step in and help others whenever the opportunity presents itself and he does so with empathy and fairness. He consistently demonstrates integrity by being honest and taking responsibility for his actions, even if it is not easy to do.
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Cal continues to show his dedication to AMT. The reason for nomination is his willingness to do anything that is asked of him. He continues to do "things outside of this job description" because he knows the bigger picture and sees how this will help AMT and subsequently, all the employees.
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One project Steve worked on for a new customer, he got asked to fix a blue robot and having never touched it, he said yes because he believes in himself to figure it out. Now the customer only asks for Steve because of his excellence in reputation.
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If Aaron works on anything, you can be sure it is done with thought and care. He doesn't do anything "just because." You know you will have a functional design, having someone like that working on your project. I've seen Aaron in the middle of working on a time-sensitive task take a few minutes to answer questions from a team member.
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Grant has become an essential contributor to the [partner] project, consistently driving progress and strengthening the team. He is quick to support and mentor new team members, ensuring they get up to speed efficiently and feel confident in their roles. In addition, Grant has proactively developed valuable tools that benefit both AMT and the customer, enhancing productivity and overall project performance. His willingness to go the extra mile reflects his commitment to excellence and continues to reinforce AMT’s strong reputation.
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Dave’s dedication to AMT is truly unparalleled. He consistently goes above and beyond to support his coworkers and our customers, living out AMT’s core values every day.
Respect for the Individual – Dave readily shares his expertise and takes the time to help others understand complex challenges. His patience and willingness to assist anyone who asks fosters a positive and supportive environment.
Integrity – When Dave gives his word, he delivers. He approaches every task with honesty and a commitment to doing what is right for both AMT and the customer.
Supports the AMT Team – Dave is a reliable resource and collaborator. By openly sharing knowledge and stepping in wherever needed, he strengthens the team’s capabilities and ensures we succeed together.
Excellence in Reputation – Dave is focused on providing customers with the best possible solutions, ensuring that every interaction reflects the quality and professionalism AMT stands for. His efforts play a key role in upholding our industry-leading reputation. Dave’s actions exemplify the core values that define AMT. His exceptional commitment, teamwork, and customer focus make him a deserving candidate for the Core Value Award.
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Linda provides exceptional support to the AMT team in countless ways, often behind the scenes, yet always with a meaningful impact.
Supports the AMT Team - Whether she's reviewing expenses for accuracy, coordinating lunches, or assisting employees outside of normal hours, Linda is consistently there to help. She anticipates needs and ensures that others have what they require to be successful.
Excellence in Reputation - Linda's reliable efforts ensure that AMT continues to uphold the high standards our customers expect. By keeping essential processes running smoothly, she plays a critical role in maintaining our reputation for excellence in the field.
Linda's willingness to go above and beyond-often without recognition-shows how deeply she cares about AMT's success and the wellbeing of her colleagues. She is highly deserving of this Core Values award.
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Amanda is a key contributor to AMT’s success and consistently demonstrates the core values that define our organization.
Supports the AMT Team — Amanda readily shares her knowledge and steps in to help others overcome technical challenges. Her reliability and collaborative spirit strengthen our entire team’s ability to perform.
Respect for the Individual — She maintains a positive, uplifting attitude that makes colleagues feel supported and appreciated. Her encouragement creates a welcoming environment where others feel comfortable asking questions and learning.
Excellence in Reputation — During the company-wide transition to Windows 11, Amanda played a leading role in coordinating efforts to ensure our field team remained fully supported. Her proactive planning and execution helped minimize disruptions and allowed employees to stay focused on delivering exceptional service to our customers.
Amanda’s dedication, teamwork, and positivity make a meaningful difference every day. She is highly deserving of recognition through the Core Value Award.
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Stacey is truly a “jack of all trades” and an invaluable asset to AMT. No matter what is needed—whether helping with meals, supporting facilities, or ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly—Stacey steps in with a positive attitude and a willingness to help. Stacey’s dedication and positivity have a daily impact on the success of our team. She exemplifies the core values of AMT and is highly deserving of this recognition.
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Anna plays a critical role in managing customer relationships while also protecting and advocating for AMT employees. She consistently demonstrates AMT’s core values through her balanced and thoughtful leadership.
Respect for the Individual – She genuinely cares about each employee’s wellbeing, taking time to listen, support, and ensure they have what they need to succeed. Her compassion fosters trust and strengthens the AMT culture.
Integrity – Anna handles challenging situations with honesty, professionalism, and fairness. She stands by her word and ensures decisions are made with the best interest of both the customer and our team in mind.
Excellence in Reputation – Anna’s proactive communication and high standards reinforce the confidence our customers have in AMT. Her actions directly contribute to maintaining our strong reputation in the field. Balancing customer needs with employee support is no easy task, yet Anna does it with consistency and purpose. Her dedication to AMT’s people and reputation make her an outstanding candidate for the Core Value Award.
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Barrett was a huge help with enabling not only AMT engineers but others as well with the [partner] projects. He gave me the knowledge I needed to succeed. He also keeps 3rd shift fun and energetic.
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Derik dug me out of a snowbank.
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Lee is passionate about this work and supports both the AMT Team and the end-customer team -always. He is consistently recognized by the customer and colleagues on site including (in the customer's words) "please clone Lee for us"! Integrity, effort, and genuine sincerity in his actions -always. Thanks Lee!
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Lee is an outstanding and highly valued member of the team whose commitment and work ethic set a superior standard for all colleagues. Lee consistently leadby example, demonstrating a level of dedication that significantly contributes to the Otto Motors deployment’ success.
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Brandon is always willing to support the team, by taking on any task asked of him, He does great work for AMT.
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Congratulations to all, and a special thanks to those who took the time to recognize their peers through nomination.
Congratulations to 2022 RISE Award recipients Tyler Bruder and Aaron Minarik!
Tyler is doing so much to help our customers. He is also trying to find ways for everyone to do jobs better with our customers. Always friendly and available.
Tyler has, with little guidance, started a new department for AMT. It seems like overnight, he took support calls that would hit multiple people within the organization and cause confusion and turned it into a smooth operation where not only does it help customers but also helps clear up confusion internally. Little do people know, Tyler was working 12-15hr days while getting SAT prepared for our largest system's customer as well as starting this department!
I watched Aaron manage the build team for one of AMTs largest systems and was impressed by his ability to keep a large team of contractors focused and on track. He is a hard-working young man, who cares deeply about his work and keeps a high level of focus on the task at hand. He strives to give his best every day and the effort shows. His behavior always aligns with each of AMTs core values and we all enjoy working with him.
Aaron has shown his excellence through his work. Everything he touches is thorough and well thought out. He is always willing to learn something new and help a team member. He never says no when someone asks him to do something.
Whenever there is an issue Aaron jumps right in whether it is on jumping on tools, ordering parts, or just helping diagnose issues, he is there to support anytime and willingly drops what he's doing to help out.
Congratulations to 2022 RISE Award recipients Cal Huffman and Jacob Pedersen!
“Most of you have worked with either Cal or Jacob and I know that you can agree that they truly do exhibit what makes AMT great,” said Mike Jacobs. “Congratulations Cal! Congratulations Jacob! Thank you for bringing your entire self to AMT every day. You lead by example. You’re a pleasure to work with. I’m truly humbled that you chose to build your careers with AMT.”
“Cal exemplifies all of the core values here at AMT. He has been an excellent mentor to me and a great coworker. He has an uncompromising work ethic and provides exceptional instruction to not only me but everyone he interacts with.”
“Cal has supported me through a lot of trials and tribulations during the INTRA FORD UK project. Super helpful.”
“Cal is always willing to help support the team and share his knowledge. He has helped to develop training documentation for other employees and customers. He has embraced his new role, creating an inclusive environment for the team. His diligence and attention to detail have made him an essential component of the customer’s team. Cal is an excellent representative of AMT and our Core Values.”
“Jacob stepped in to help on a complex project and absolutely went above and beyond. He displayed a deep level of respect towards his colleagues as well as the customer. His ability to communicate and know his audience is second to none. Jacob in many ways has every single aspect of our Core Values that if typed out, would make this recommendation look like an essay. Jacob needs to be a strong consideration for the award. We look forward to working with Jacob in the future.”
Congratulations to 2022 RISE Award recipients Dan Ivan and Chris Gomez!
The 2022 RISE Award recipients are Dan Ivan, Controls Hardware Lead Engineer and Chris Gomez, Automation Engineer 1.
"I know that we truly are a part of something special, because we work with men and women of integrity that respect every individual and gladly support their AMT team," said Jacobs. "I well up with pride during this meeting every year. It’s almost dream-like to hear that this is truly who our company is."
This year there were 29 nominations. “It’s quite a list,” said Mike. “It’s a large percentage of our company, and it’s great to have these nominees. People are nominated by their peers, and it’s one of the strengths that we’ve found in this process.”
Dan's teammates had some glowing reviews about working with him. All quotes were submitted anonymously.
"Dan Ivan is always ready to help - sometimes even before he is asked. He pitches in and does so with a smile on his face."
"Dan was promoted to become a leader in 2022 and by exhibiting all AMT's core values he has successfully lived up to being a leader - the AMT way!"
Within his first year as an AMT Automation Academy graduate, Chris has stepped up to become a leader: he led the team on a project with AMT's largest service customer and has become indispensable to the customer and the project. He has earned the respect of the individuals on his team and has encouraged and mentored a number of new hires on the team.
Chris goes above and beyond for everyone on his team. He is always the first to show up and the last to leave and is the perfect example of a leader, he should be a role model for all AMT team members. Chris takes care of the AMT programmers as well as the other contractors.
He truly embodies the AMT core values: he's respectful to all around him, unrivaled in gumption and natural ability to lead, confronting stressful situations with a smile on his face, always acts with integrity, on top of providing top-notch engineering knowledge and talent for customers.
The 2021 RISE Award recipients are Josh Galloway, IT Lead and Digital Solutions Architect and Louisa Asciniuc, Senior Controls Design Leader. "I’ve worked AT a number of companies in my life, and I’ve worked WITH a lot of companies in my life. I truly believe that what we have now at AMT is special. It’s different," said President Mike Jacobs in his announcement to the company. "Please be very jealous of what we have at AMT. Keep it strong and vibrant; it will serve you well."
"Josh has supported the AMT team by taking on more and more responsibilities, especially on ASG systems. He's designed tablet applications to replace an HMI, he's written custom software to collect data out of a PLC, and has guided us as we dig into a full remote-monitoring solution. Some of these are feats that have never been done before, so he makes those things without examples to reference, and gives AMT a solution that no other company in the world has figured out."
"Throughout all of those tasks, he's shown excellence by making sure that he and the rest of the team are proud of the end product. It's one thing to write prototype code that just barely gets the job done; Josh keeps improving it until the solution is state of the art. The quality of his work surpasses entire companies like some of our vendors."
"Louisa has been a huge asset to AMT since she started. She is willing to jump in and help on any and all projects, juggling them as she goes. When issues arise, she is there to care for them personally and be right next to you working them out. Her reputation for being an expert in our field is proven daily. Even if it's something Louisa has never touched before, she will take it on and become an expert on it in a very short time. She is a ball of fire that keeps us all on our toes. It's great to work with someone of her caliber."
Mike introduced the 2020 RISE Award recipients, Melissa Fisher and Steve Hohenadel at a virtual company meeting, “Congratulations, Melissa and Steve. It’s an honor to work with people like you; I’m humbled every day. Thanks to each and every one of you for your support.”
Nearly five years ago, Melissa Fisher was hired as a customer support coordinator, but in that time, she has adopted many new roles within the company. Working out of AMT’s Orion, Michigan headquarters, Melissa has evolved as the business has grown and changed. Today her primary responsibility is purchasing but she is also the company’s safety officer, facilities manager, and shop mom. Melissa has even used downtime to paint various parts the building over the years.
This year, Melissa received a glowing nomination, which touched on all four of the company’s core values. “The first person that came to mind for the RISE Award was Melissa. She is not only respectful to all AMT Team Members, but she is also very respectful to our suppliers and customers. Melissa has developed solid relationships with our key suppliers and is a great representative of the company. It is because of her behavior that has allowed us to have some honest and fair negotiations with suppliers that has only strengthened our partnerships.”
“Supporting AMT is Melissa’s super power. It does not matter if it’s the alarm company, the support hotline, building maintenance, late or missing materials, pricing & terms… the list goes on. Melissa was the first one to let me know that ‘AMT is special’ (her words). I think Melissa is special because she realizes and embraces being part of something great.”
Steve Hohenadel is a senior automation engineer who has been with AMT for nearly seven years. Steve is responsible for the design and implementation of robotic and control system solutions that meet customer specifications. “Congratulations, Steve; well earned!” said Mike. “Steve had five nominations; it’s quite impressive! Steve is very deserving of this award.”
“Steve is one of the hardest working guys that I know,” said Jason Markesino, Engineering Group Leader. “He puts the customer first and is driven to get the job done.”
Steve Hohenadel was the only AMT employee to receive five nominations this year. Here is what his peers had to say about him:
“Steve recently became a project lead for some very critical AMT projects. He has fully stepped up to the responsibility. Steve wants to give his best work to the customer, no matter how stressful the situation, and that is exactly what the customer perceives. He is one of AMT’s best ambassadors. Steve is on the road most of the time, which is extremely stressful. Steve acknowledges the stress but he works through it, trusting that his management team will support him in every way they can. His loyalty is outshined only by his great smile.”
AMT President Mike Jacobs gave a moving speech at the company meeting when announcing the RISE Award recipients. “Our company culture has a strong spirit of mentorship,” he said. “Respect, integrity, support, and excellence are traits we consciously nurture for the benefit of all. Please offer a hearty congratulations to this year’s recipients, Kevin Ockert and Tyler Macsuga.”
Mike asked members of the audience to stand if they had ever been nominated for a RISE Award. He asked people to stand who had previously been an award recipient, or have nominated someone. Mike then asked those to stand who had been positively affected by a RISE Award recipient. “Look around the room,” he said. “Every single person in this company has been touched by the RISE Award. Thank you all for your contributions.”
Kevin Ockert is a senior automation engineer who was hired by AMT in 2000. Kevin lives in northern Michigan and mainly works offsite, most often at a customer’s site in Traverse City, Michigan, or on one of his frequent trips to China. Nominated each year by his supervisor Jason Markesino, Kevin was recognized with a RISE Award this year for his outstanding contributions to the company.
“Kevin is a model employee,” said supervisor Jason Markesino. “His dedication to his project earns him the respect of customers, who often request him by name. Kevin makes an impact wherever he goes, and is very honest and straightforward with the customer, even when it is difficult.”
Tyler Macsuga is a controls installation technician who has been with AMT for more than two years. Working mainly out of the company’s Orion, MI headquarters, Tyler works from engineering to build with the controls applications. He installs all the components, devices, and raceways to complete the project, and then travels to the customer’s site to lead the controls installation.
Tyler was the only AMT employee this year to be nominated by three people. One of the nominations was from his supervisor (and father) Ron Macsuga, “Tyler is a self-starter, a team player, and someone who listens but is not afraid to voice a different opinion yet is not offended if a different direction is taken contrary to their opinion. He doesn’t need credit or validation for the work that he does, he just does it and gets self-satisfaction for a job well done and complete.”