FEATURE A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | M A R C H 2 0 2 3 4 4 2 IT’S TRULY THAT EASY As I look out upon Lake Erie here in Cleveland pondering what to write for this editorial, I think of how our heat treat industry is rapidly changing. Artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, automation…these are just some of the advancements starting with the letter A! Imagine all these endless opportunities. Yet regardless of all the various technological breakthroughs, I firmly believe one thing is truly being overlooked: the critical importance of us, all of us. Many of you reading this article work for large or relatively large organizations in various engineering related roles. But my experience comes from working in a smaller company (45+ employees) and, by design, my team all know each other’s names. Our lives, backgrounds, experiences, foods, and cultures are incredibly different; our common goal is not. We all work together to take care of our customers’ PIA (pain in the @%$) jobs! As a team, we must continually findways to improve and solve problems. Without the talented men and women who work for Kowalski Heat Treating, we would fail in a very short period of time. By failure, I mean simply, without our people there would not be a KHT. This is a reality for all of us: without great people we don’t succeed. We all can and should embrace various new technologies to the extent that they make us a better organization. These capital investments must coincide with continual investing in human capital as well. With the amount of information presented to us each day, it can be overwhelming. This is especially true when much of what we read, see, and hear is presented from a negative perspective to drive headlines, conflict, and clicks. GUEST DITORIAL How is this accomplished? Here at KHT when we encounter an especially unique or complicated situation, whether it is a customer part or internal problem, we often use the phrase “That’s easy.” New employees, customers, and suppliers often express disbelief at our use of this phrase. It’s actually quite simple; we know the answer and have the solution. This does not mean it’s not going to get complicated or sometimes uncomfortable; it means that we have the answer. These amazing solutions have come as a result of people working together toward a common goal. This starts with hiring the best available people regardless of their backgrounds. To many, it sounds old fashioned, naïve, or impossible; but it’s not. Coming to work each day ready, willing to learn, and with a positive attitude are the keys to an individual’s success. Our responsibility as managers and executives is to provide the various tools needed to enable our team to succeed both professionally and personally. Too often in today’s society, instead of working together to solve problems, valuable time and resources are wasted on excuses or labels for why we can’t. This has to stop. Labeling people must stop. Common decency must be embraced and reinforced so people can truly excel. Almost 60 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. said the following, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nationwhere theywill not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” It’s truly that easy! Stephen Kowalski President, Kowalski Heat Treating Kowalski
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