We are pleased to showcase Curtis McDow, Automated Support Specialist and Q1 2025 Employee of the Quarter Winner!   With over two decades of experience in automation, Curtis brings a unique blend of passion, expertise, and a love for problem-solving to KION North America.  Having recently transferred to KION NA from a sister facility, Curtis'  journey in the field has been driven by a desire to enhance quality of life through innovative technology. In this interview, he shares insights into what motivates him, the culture at KION North America that fuels his success, and his excitement for the future of industrial automation. Dive in to learn more about his inspiring perspective and dedication to teamwork and excellence.

First, how long have you been at KION NA?  

I transferred from Dematic to KION NA at the beginning of October, 2024. I was with Dematic for three years prior to my transfer.

In the length of time you have been at KION NA, what accomplishment makes you most proud?

The genuine enaction of the “team work” philosophy that I have experienced so far has made me most proud. I have really enjoyed really enjoying my work and my team.

What do you think makes an employee stand out in an organization?

That depends on the organization, but at KION NA it seems that a positive, helpful attitude and interest in the success of our customers (and therefore ourselves) is a good way to make yourself known quickly. 

What motivates you?

I have been in automation professionally for over twenty years, be it research and design, building and execution, troubleshooting and repair, or modification and reimplementation. I enjoy most all of it, but especially troubleshooting. I built my first robot 26 years ago as part of a team event in high school. Before that it was building simple machines with Lego. To this day I really enjoy redstone mechanics in Minecraft and building with Lego. I think my core motivation with any of these interests or professions has been creating machines, automation, or programs that relieve humans from the manual or mundane labor. The improvement of quality of life at less of a physical cost to the individual. Plus, it’s just plain fun!

What is the culture at KION NA that makes you excel in your position?

I think that our culture of shared goals and teamwork are the perfect launching pad for superior customer service. When a customer has an issue, everyone at KION NA is happy to help in achieving the best, quickest resolution possible. I believe a lot of this comes from the fact that almost every person I have encountered in KION NA seems to genuinely like or love their job, and therefore they seem to do it very well. I know for myself this is the case.

Which KION Group shared value resonates most with you?  (Integrity, Courage, Collaboration, or Excellence)?

All. I do not believe any of them really matter individually. It’s the combination of Integrity, Courage, and Collaboration that lead us to Excellence. If you are a scared liar who works well with others, what good is that? If you are an honest scaredy-cat who works alone, what good is that? If you are a brave crook who works best alone you can only really go into politics, and what good is that? I joke, but it’s to illustrate that the combination of all our shared values is what makes any of them valuable.

Looking to the future, what are you most excited about? 

It has been very interesting to see how industrial automation has developed over the years. I have worked on machines that use relay logic. Relay logic was automation before computers came to be. In my 21 years in automation, I have witnessed the world advance from relay logic to now having artificial intelligence. I can’t even imagine what advances I will get to witness over the next 20 years. How we at KION NA employ those advances in our products is what I am most excited to see!