Our People
Ed Kays: President
Ed founded Kays Engineering, Inc. in 1980 as a welding and machinery repair shop and quickly grew the business into a designer and builder of custom machinery for the automotive industry.
Ed founded Kays Engineering, Inc. in 1980 as a welding and machinery repair shop and quickly grew the business into a designer and builder of custom machinery for the automotive industry. Today, Ed is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business, including new product line acquisitions. He also works closely with customers who need help choosing the right machine for their application.
Ed is a native of Marshal, Missouri and holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Missouri State University in Springfield.
Matthew Kays: Vice President – Business Development
Matt currently oversees all marketing and sales initiatives, including exhibiting at trade shows, coordinating advertising, and maintaining the website.
Matt currently oversees all marketing and sales initiatives, including exhibiting at trade shows, coordinating advertising, and maintaining the website.
Previous to joining Kays Engineering in 2013, Matt was a Fluid Systems Engineer for three years with General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. His work included designing fluid piping systems for nuclear-powered submarines: he was also the lead design engineer for four different systems for the S6G Moored Training Ship.
Matt holds an MBA and a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Missouri.
Marty Kays: Vice President – Manufacturing
Marty current oversees the internal production process from design release through delivery, including production control and scheduling, internal fabrication, and final assembly.
Marty current oversees the internal production process from design release through delivery, including production control and scheduling, internal fabrication, and final assembly.
Previous to joining Kays Engineering in 2024, Marty was a manufacturing engineer for 4 years with 3M in Columbia Missouri. His work included new product introductions, process, supplier, and equipment qualifications supporting Littmann Stethoscopes.
Marty then spent 3 years as a Manufacturing Engineer and Production Manager supporting the legacy F/A-18 Hornet in St. Louis Missouri and 2 years as a Supplier Quality Senior Manager supporting the Weapon Systems Division in St. Charles Missouri.
As a manufacturing engineer his work included updating assembly work instructions and creating and implementing new assembly tools and fixtures to improve efficiency and reduce defects. As a Production Manager he oversaw a team of 38 mechanics that were able to double production output while reducing build hours and defects per unit.
As a Supplier Quality Senior Manager he oversaw a group of 30 employees and 3 managers that were responsible for supplier quality and receiving inspection for multiple programs making up the Weapon Systems Division across manufacturing sites in Missouri, Ohio, Alabama, and Utah.
Marty holds an MBA and a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Missouri.
Matt Clark: Mechanical Engineering Manager
Matt is the supervisor for the Mechanical Engineering department. He’s also the lead design engineer for mechanical systems.
Matt’s experience includes working as a design engineer for Schaefer’s Electrical Enclosures. A key member of the Engineering Design Team, he was routinely assigned the most complex designs that included multi-section control consoles and switchgear enclosures.
A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Matt double-majored. He holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics with an Applied Physics Option (ABET Accredited) and a B.S. in Physics with a Minor in Mathematics.
Ron Poehlmann: Electrical Engineering Manager
Ron brings over 20 years of engineering experience to his job. Responsibilities include programming the functionality of all our drilling machines using Beckhoff TwinCAT PLCs, as well as new equipment design and maintaining existing equipment.
Ron brings over 20 years of engineering experience to his job. Responsibilities include programming the functionality of all our drilling machines using Beckhoff TwinCAT PLCs, as well as new equipment design and maintaining existing equipment.
Prior to joining Kays Engineering in 2012, Ron was the Owner / Engineer of Poehlmann Engineering. In this role he provided consulting engineering for electrical power, lighting, fire alarm, and special systems for commercial and industrial companies.
Ron worked as Sr. Engineer with several companies, including Burns & McDonnell, Waterloo Industries, and Pittsburgh Corning Corporation.
He received his BSEE degree in 1987 from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Glenn Scott: Tech Support – DeHoff & Eldorado
Glenn, who has been with Kays Engineering for over 30 years, is responsible for providing technical support for our DeHoff and Eldorado gundrilling machines. He is able to troubleshoot machine problems with customers over the phone, and also schedules technician visits to customer sites.
Michael Clark: Tech Support – TechniDrill
With over 30 years of experience in machine tool service and troubleshooting operations, Michael is the main technical support contact for our TechniDrill gundrilling machines. A strong problem solver, he provides email and phone support, as well as scheduling technician visits to customer sites.
Scott Tucker: Parts Sales
Scott has been with Kays Engineering since 2019. He brings over 30 years of customer service experience to his position as Part Sales Manager. Scott is able to supply replacement parts for our DeHoff, Eldorado, and TechniDrill machines – from coolant filters to spindle drive belts or electrical components.