Meet The Team

James joined CRG Automation in 2019 following two decades in top leadership positions at General Electric and Big Ass Fans. James changed the direction of the company to focus on automation and integration, fulfilling his longtime professional goal of building out his own custom engineering solution firm – one dedicated to solving the kinds of problems that leave most teams scratching their heads. As CEO, James grew the Team from six employees to 30+ while earning numerous professional awards for revenue growth, innovation and culture. James leads our government initiatives including our work with the Department of Defense, as well as driving the overall strategy and direction of the company.

James holds a Marine Engineering Systems (Mech Eng+) degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, has earned GE Six Sigma Black Belt & Master Black Belt Certifications (DFSS/DMAIC), served 14 years as a commissioned officer in the US Naval Reserve and is President and Co-Founder of 502cares, Inc – a Louisville based charity. When not in the office, James enjoys spending summer weekends at the lake with his wife Missy, and their four children.

Ken joins the CRG Automation Team serving as President overseeing the company’s commercial operations. With over three decades of increasing business volume at large manufacturing companies such as Rockwell, Promega, Bastian and Promach, Ken delivered innovative automation solutions for customers around the world. Ken’s knowledge in Material Handling, Machine Building and Packaging will bring a depth of experience to escalate our customers goals, driving process improvement to optimize operations and maximize profitability.

Ken holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering as well as an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. A native Kentuckian, Ken grew up on a horse farm in Prospect County before marrying his wife and having three boys. In his spare time Ken enjoys camping, BBQ and anything Star Wars related.

Brian is a results-oriented supply chain and finance executive with a proven track record of success. During his 30-year career, he has analyzed and resolved complex and cross-functional business problems, saving billions in manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure, and procurement costs. He boasts extensive experience in planning, forecasting, budgeting, and business valuations.
Prior to joining CRG Automation, Brian spent more than 20 years at two Fortune 500 companies — Coca-Cola and Corning — as well as a variety of roles at smaller companies and startups.
Among his many responsibilities at Coca-Cola, Brian served as lead supply chain liaison to finance during the integration of the company’s largest bottler into its North American supply chain — the largest vertical integration in history. Brian analyzed, reviewed, presented and managed more than $1 billion in integration benefits over a 4-year period, and led a team that sought out additional integration and productivity opportunities throughout the company’s supply system.
Brian holds an MBA from State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College.

Chris has over three decades of experience in machine design and automation.  Early in his career, he was a federal employee working for the US Navy on naval weapon platforms, and later transitioned into automation and packaging.  He spent over a decade at Lantech designing custom packaging solutions and received numerous patents during his tenure.  He was the Director of Engineering at Amatrol for over eleven years, leading the design challenges of complex engineering technical training equipment for customers around the world.  Chris has a passion for automation, innovation, and solving complex machine design problems. Chris is a graduate of the University of Louisville Speed Scientific School. 

With more than 40 years of manufacturing experience, Garry has seen it all and knows the inner workings of past and present manufacturing equipment of all varieties. Garry’s career includes a decade running his own engineering consulting business. He attended the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University.

Jason has 17 years of experience in quality engineering, new product introductions and project management.  His industry experience includes automotive parts manufacturing, consumer product design and launch, as well as automation.  He has lead groups of engineers and project managers through various successful product launches and equipment builds in his career.   He is well versed in various New Product Introduction processes and project management tools. Jason holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master’s degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Jeffrey has decades of experience in sales and business development, with a focus on client service. He spent more than 20 years in the media industry, encompassing roles in business development, sales, marketing, training, and recruiting. As a new business development manager for media giant Gannett, he worked hard to ensure his clients were taken care of — a quality that, in turn, helped him grow sales. Jeffrey has a knack for identifying opportunities for campaigns, services, and distribution channels, like at Fastline Media, where he built both inside and digital sales departments from scratch. Jeffrey holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Eastern Kentucky University.

Rebekah joins the CRG Automation Team leading their marketing direction, strategy, and brand initiatives. Her career spanning 20+ years in national multifamily real estate operations in top leadership positions at Archstone, Riverstone and Cardinal Group uniquely positions her to grow the company’s digital presence and sales channels while focusing on our continued commitment to customer service.

A native Texan, Rebekah attended the University of Texas at Austin studying Business Management. Recently relocating from Denver, CO to Louisville, KY, Rebekah is enjoying exploring new surroundings with her three little ones.