Brad Dahl
Founder and CEO Women in Data
Young Professionals 2022
EDUCATION by Laurie Lauletta-Boshart
Nine years ago , Brad Dahl moved to Sacramento from Kentucky . It didn ’ t take him long to embrace the California lifestyle . “ The weather here makes it easy to be outdoors a lot ,” he says . The mechanical engineer , who grew up primarily in the Midwest , accepted a promotion with Altec Industries — a leading provider of products and services for the power , telecommunications , tree care , lights , signs and contractor markets — to oversee a final assembly plant in nearby Dixon . Since the move , he ’ s taken up running and hiking and can ’ t get enough of the local cuisine . One of his favorite things to do is to bike with his wife from their Elmhurst neighborhood to nearby restaurants in East Sacramento . They also run together with their 4-year-old son in tow .
The 40-year-old Dahl , who has been with Altec for all 17 years of his professional career , got his first post with the company through a career fair at Iowa State University , where he earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering . He also holds degrees in physics from Augustana College and an MBA from Northwest Missouri State University . Dahl credits his dad , HEALTH a mining engineer CARE , for his interest and passion in the industry .
The operations manager started his career at Altec as a quality engineer and was hired right out of college by current Altec procurement manager Wade Wetlaufer . He says Wetlaufer has been a lifelong mentor and pushed him out of his comfort zone , forcing him to get comfortable with public speaking and meeting with customers . They still regularly collaborate and are currently on a team together addressing the critical supply chain issue , a problem that started during the pandemic . “ We are built to deal with supply chain issues because that ’ s a reality in manufacturing ,” he says . “ They ’ re just a little larger right now than they ’ ve ever been .”
Equipment and systems are both engineered and built at the Dixon facility , where Altec custom designs truck bodies to fit client-specific needs . The manufacturer sells direct to PG & E , SoCal Edison , Nevada Energy and others . It primarily procures parts from its own internal suppliers to minimize the disruption in production . “ We keep the lights on and the internet going ,” Dahl laughs . His current responsibilities include visiting various Altec facilities to help streamline production and create opportunities for continuous improvements . In addition to the plant in Dixon , Dahl has international responsibilities for plants in Melbourne , Australia and Shanghai , China , which gives him the opportunity to travel and ensure continuity in overseas operations .
“ For a kid who grew up mostly in the Midwest , this job has given me the chance to see many different parts of the world ,” he says . He demurs when talking about his own success , repeatedly pointing to the team he works with , but admits that he has a good work ethic , arriving at the plant at 6 a . m . to start his day .
Outside of work , Dahl was tapped to be part of the Travis Air Force Base honorary commander program , which pairs one community leader with one base commander to foster a link between the base and the public . “ It was an outstanding experience ,” he says , “ to really show the local community who the Air Force is .”
With his willingness to relocate and take on new responsibilities , Dahl has parlayed his interest in manufacturing to a career with unlimited growth potential , something he is passionate about sharing with others , especially students . “ Manufacturing is unique in that it never ends ,” he says . “ At Altec we can provide good jobs for people and a comfortable place to work . And I think we can grow skills that are really tangible in today ’ s work environment .”
July 2022 | comstocksmag . com 63