Kness hires new general manager

Dan Crew. PHOTO: KNESS MANUFACTURING

Kness Manufacturing hired Dan Crew as the company’s general manager. The Albia, Iowa-based company has specialized in manufacturing pest defense products since 1924.

Adding Crew expands the company’s leadership team. He will be responsible for overseeing daily operations at Kness. Crew will also create and implement strategies to grow the company, manage the development of key performance goals, and other important functions that ensure the delivery of quality Kness products to customers.

Kness President Kathy Kness Wauson shared what she believes are Crew’s best qualities for his new role as general manager.

“Dan is very family orientated and takes pride in managing our employees. He is hands-on, listens to the employees and tries to make improvements for better workflow,” she said. “He fits into our manufacturing family dynamics like a glove. We have high expectations that Dan is the catalyst needed to see our company reach its 100th anniversary in 2024 and carry us beyond with new product potential. We are excited to have Dan Crew as our new general manager.”

Crew has 31 years of experience refining manufacturing processes.

At his previous company, Crew was involved in almost every aspect of the manufacturing process. He has held positions including production worker, acting foreman, production scheduler, data control specialist, senior site purchasing agent and process control technician.

“I want to build upon the legacy that already exists here at Kness and continue the family core values of compassion, motivation, and respect,” Crew said about his new position. “From day one, everyone at Kness has gone out of their way to make me feel like an integral part of the team. It gives me a sense of pride to be able to say that I work for Kness.”

Crew is also involved with Six Sigma, a set of management techniques aimed at improving business processes. He is certified in the method as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt professional.

Crew’s hiring comes at a time where Kness is expanding its product offerings.

The company recently released its new KritterSense Remote Monitoring System. It is an electronic monitoring device that features two different types of sensors, hall effect (magnetic) and a PIR (passive infrared), that allow it to connect to snap traps, multiple-catch traps, live animal cages or bait stations. It even can be used as a standalone device. Informative reports containing key capture data are generated when the sensor is triggered, and include number of devices, success rates, location of animal trapped, timestamp when the trap was triggered, bait data and much more. This product allows customers to remotely monitor their pest traps, saving time and increasing efficiency.