USA
Michael McGruder is the new Project Manager at Lavatec. Based in Cincinnati, he has more than 30 years of design, manufacturing, project engineering and project management experience. He is responsible for project planning and equipment installation and reports to Eric Mueller, Lavatec’s vice president of engineering.
McGruder began his career as a civilian employee for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As a mechanical engineer and project anager in Fort Worth, Texas, he managed 14 projects for the Army’s Operation and Maintenance program and four projects for the Air Force Military Construction program. The projects had a combined value of $12 million.
Since 1996, McGruder has worked at several Cincinnati area companies or affiliates including Ford Motor Co, General Electric Aviation, Proctor & Gamble, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America. Prior to Lavatec, he spent the past 18 years as a project manager for Meyer Tool, a high-tech aerospace manufacturer of precision components.
“My responsibilities at Meyer Tool were to manage the design, programming, processing, and partial quality assurance for aircraft engine component and assembly contracts,” he confirmed. At Lavatec, he will be overseeing all of the details to ensure a smooth equipment installation process with each customer.
“When I was recruited for this position, I was intrigued about the industrial laundry industry but was not aware of its scale,” continued McGruder. “The equipment and cleaning process, and the challenge of managing these types of projects, is what convinced me to join Lavatec.”
A graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a degree in mechanical engineering, McGruder earned a certificate in manufacturing engineering at the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems. He also has a certificate in renewable energy. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his adult son, riding his bicycle, reading, and participating in fitness sports as well as watching sports on television.
