Operations Manager Excelling at R&D Machine
OLDSMAR, FL – January 28, 2025 – Katlin Pennison missed a chance to move to Florida when she was 18 years old. But she was always destined to be a Floridian.
At R&D Machine, she appears destined for big things. In November 2024, Kat began her third year at Compass Precision’s operating company in the Sunshine State. With her as Operations Manager, R&D Machine is growing and aiming for big things in 2025.
”We have been on a tear lately, booking orders and expanding our business,” explained Justin Kovscek, R&D’s VP & General Manager. “Kat just seems to be in the middle of everything.”
Kat previously worked with Justin at Nemak Global USA in Sylacauga, AL. Justin joined R&D in May 2022, which was shortly after Compass acquired the operating company.
Justin brought Kat onboard as operations manager six months later.
Kat explained that she spent a large portion of the early part in her tenure “figuring out what R&D was about.” Then, she and the management team began installing little changes in the company’s workflow.
“You don’t want to go making huge changes without knowing the reasons for why it was done before,” said Kat.
“But then we started incremental changes and improvements and tried to get everyone together running the shop in a more lean way, in a more thoughtful way.
“Not just dealing with the daily fires, but looking at the big picture. We try to look at a much bigger picture now and try to make plans for three, four, five months into the future.”
That “big picture” includes projects that mostly help R&D in the long term. The operating company has also tried to expand into more innovative machining processes.
R&D will take a big step in that area this year. The company will have a new Okuma Multus B300 machine installed shortly. Kat described that other than satisfying customer needs, the company’s biggest goal is to have the Okuma set up and making good, production parts as fast as possible.
“R&D has been primarily, I’d say 98% a Haas shop,” Kat said. “We’re now bringing in a more high-end machine that’s going to just chew up and spit out material and finish parts.”
R&D is expanding its material list as well. With the help of Pat Reynolds at Advanced Machining & Tooling, R&D Machine’s sister company in Salisbury, NC, R&D machinist Corey Kunkel is learning how to machine with Inconel. R&D is also working with other sister companies, Quality Products & Machine and Gray Manufacturing Technologies, to fill quotes that include sheet metal and improve its CMM processes.
Expanding in those areas could allow the Florida-based Compass operating company to have its best year yet.
Kat is excited about the year ahead. But her favorite part about working at R&D is the atmosphere.
“I love the small-shop feel. I’ve worked at shops with 900 people, shops with 300 people. Just having, I think, 38 people right now and being able to loop through the whole shop and stop and see how everyone is doing and know what’s going on in everyone’s lives,” Kat said. “It just makes communication easier when there’s fewer people and you get to know everyone better. It’s a closer team environment.”
After growing up in Alaska, Kat tried to move to Florida for college. But because her mother threatened to move with her due to the distance, Kat agreed to attend the same college – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – in Prescott, AZ.
After graduating in 2013, she worked six years at Sturm, Ruger & Co. in Prescott, AZ, a firearms manufacturer. During that time, she married her husband, Leo.
The couple, which just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, also had a son, Kayden, while she was working in Prescott. Ironically, Kayden was born on the couple’s 1-year wedding anniversary.
In 2019, Kat began working at Nemark Global. She started as an engineer but stepped into a managerial position when the company needed leadership. That’s when she began working daily with Justin.
Kat was born and raised in Nikiski which is an Alaskan town with a population under 5,000. Her family had a homestead in Nikiski beginning in the 1940s.
Kat enjoys visiting Alaska when she receives the chance but loves living in Florida.