Leader Modernizes Company with New Technology and Processes

As operations manager at Everett Industries, Gary Sweeney has been transforming the 58-year-old company into the modern age by implementing ISO 13849/EN/CE safety systems and updating precision machining technology. In his 10 years with the company, he has taken organically developed engineering and product development systems and transformed them into scalable, reliable, efficient methods.

A 2020 Production Machining Emerging Leader, Sweeney has grasped many skills in his role as he continually grows as a leader and a partial owner at Everett. He has learned about aluminum casting, tooling and heat treating to secure the company’s supply chain. He has inventoried, qualified and improved its fixtures for machining the castings. He also has taught himself the Mazatrol CNC control (circa 1992).

Now, he is verifying and qualifying all the programs and tooling for machining shafts and wheel flanges. And, after he built a detailed bill of materials for all the company’s catalog saws, Sweeney developed economic order quantity models for its wheel and part inventory.

Sweeney’s background includes positions as a machine tool builder of ultraprecision thread grinding machines, a quality and methods manager and eventually production manager at Drake Manufacturing Services. He has also worked as a mechanical developer in the research and development department at a robotics company.

Prior to beginning his manufacturing career, Gary served as a trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He also has an executive master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University.

To learn about all of the 2020 Emerging Leaders, read Meet Production Machining’s 2020 Emerging Leaders.

To watch videos about our 2020 Emerging Leaders, click on the links below:

• Advice for the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent
• Manufacturing Attracts Young Leaders in Different Ways
• Leaders Who are Goal Oriented
• Daily Challenges Emerging Leaders Face