2025 Emerging Leaders Proflile: Aaron Kennedy

Aaron Kennedy (right) is a staunch advocate for using data to drive decisions, a philosophy he has embedded deeply into Mahler Machining. Source: Mahler Machining

According to Nik Paukkunen, director of Mahler Machining in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Aaron Kennedy, has driven tremendous value at Mahler Machining as company director and production manager, especially across these key areas: culture, leadership, process improvement and data-driven decision making.

Paukkunen, who nominated Kennedy, says one of his favorite initiatives Kennedy led was defining the core values of the business. He did this by conducting a company-wide survey, ensuring that every team member had the opportunity to share their input on what it truly means to be part of the Mahler team. He then organized a successful offsite event with the leadership team to discuss and refine these insights, ultimately shaping the core values that define the company. These core values, which have become a central part of the culture, are now prominently displayed throughout the operation.

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Kennedy explains that he sort of fell into this manufacturing career a bit as his passion in applying his business degree had been building businesses and working in business operations. But this eventually led him to manufacturing when he became co-owner of Mahler Machining with Paukkunen in 2022.

Kennedy says he and Paukkunen spent the first year learning the business and its customers, and listening to the employees. And while nothing about the company was “broken,” it lacked a culture of continuous improvement.

Aaron Kennedy is company director and production manager at Mahler Machining.

That’s why Kennedy worked to establish a process for employees to physically or digitally submit tickets with improvement ideas. These could answer various questions. What’s the root cause of why we have this problem that you’re trying to solve and what’s your approximation of cost? What is it we’re trying to solve with this initiative? Is it improved quality? Is it to make ourselves more efficient? Is it to address a safety concern? Kennedy says these are discussed in company-wide monthly meetings, rewarding the employee who suggests the best idea each month. The key is being willing to invest in these ideas, which wasn’t always the case with previous company ownership.

Paukkunen notes that in just six months, the continuous improvement team Kennedy spearheaded implemented more 50 impactful shopfloor ideas ranging from simple enhancements such as labeling sandblaster media to complex organizational projects such as streamlining tooling for 20 CNC machines across the company’s 20,000-square-foot facility. “What makes this initiative particularly powerful is its inclusivity,” Paukkunen says. “Ideas flow from every member of the team, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.”

According to Paukkunen, Kennedy also is a staunch advocate for using data to drive decisions, a philosophy he has embedded deeply into the business. He has implemented systems for accurate time tracking, enabling the team to identify which jobs are profitable and which are not. Additionally, he introduced a tagging system to streamline the management of tooling and critical equipment. When faced with challenges beyond his expertise such as threadmilling or part probing, he doesn’t hesitate to bring in external vendors for fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.

“His commitment to leveraging data and external expertise ensures Mahler is consistently positioned for growth and success,” Paukkunen says.