Title: President of Steel King Industries
Location: Stevens Point, Wisc.
Experience: More than 38 years in the materials handling industry
Modern: Jay, you’re winding down your career after 38 years at Steel King. I understand the company was founded by your father, but how did you get involved in the business?
Anderson: I started doing menial jobs in my teens. I worked in the office during the school year, and in the summers I did everything from mow the lawn for a buck an hour to working on the paint line and making skids. My earliest memories are of tagging along with my dad on Saturday mornings. He was on the road a lot selling during the week, but on Saturdays we’d go to the post office to see if there were any checks or orders and then go into the office.
Modern: When did you join the company?
Anderson: It was 1984 after I graduated college. I started out as their second inside salesperson and also did some marketing. About a year later, the company was sold to the White family, which still owns it today. With their support, we really grew. Then, in 1999, I became vice president and general manager
after my dad retired, and in 2001,
I became president.
Modern: How has the rack industry evolved over your 38 years in the industry?
Anderson: Here’s what I tell our employees. Back in 1975, when we joined the rack industry, there were 34 companies making rack, and most were small regional players like Steel King. They all had unique, proprietary designs, and the average height was less than 20 feet tall. Today, only six of those companies are still in the business; we’re all bigger; and the average height is above 30 feet, with some systems going up 100 feet. And, rack is more integrated with other equipment: It’s more of a systems approach today.
Modern: Similar but different question: How has Steel King evolved?
Anderson: We’ve grown in every way. We have a bigger engineering team on staff. We have project engineers in more than 30 states. And in 2020, we started a new division that makes elevated work platforms and mezzanines. We’re into pallet flow, push back rack, multi-level pick modules and guard railing. Within our operations, we’ve expanded our footprint from 5,000 square feet to 600,000 square feet across three facilities, and from no automation to automation in welding, our paint line and materials handling robots.
Modern: Given all that you’ve experienced in 38 years, what will you remember most about the industry?
Anderson: People. For instance, some years ago, the Rack Manufacturers Institute created a new specification. I remember the meeting where it was introduced and everyone stood up and said they were going to adopt this in their businesses. That really elevated the rack industry. Within the company, it will be the tremendous work ethic our people here in Wisconsin have.
For example, on April 15, 2018, we got 28 inches of snow. It was so heavy, it collapsed part of the roof at our New London plant, severed gas lines and caused other disruptions. Our whole company came together, and we were back in full production in 72 hours. I was so proud of them. And then, of course, my dad for starting the company, and the White family, which is now in its third generation with the company.
Modern: When you look at the future of the materials handling industry, what excites you the most?
Anderson: When MHI issued its technology road map about eight years ago, it seemed a little science fictionish, but it’s already coming to fruition. Seeing the progression of technology that’s enabling fulfillment has been game changing for our customers and all of us as consumers.
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