(815) 688-3318MEET THE TEAM AT SLAGEL
Quality drives our decisions as a company and the daily work of our employees. Beginning with our co-founder, Mark Slagel, working hands-on with local farmers and his own farm with his brother and co-founder, Don Slagel, Slagel Manufacturing has grown into a fixture in the community and a trusted provider of precise metal fabrication in Central Illinois while serving businesses across the country. We welcome you to meet the Slagel Manufacturing Inc. team.
OUR TEAM
Job Description: Overseeing the company, steel purchasing.
What I like about my job: The relationships I’ve developed with customers, venders, and employees.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 40 years
Special knowledge: You get way better results with praise over criticism.
Hobbies: Trying different craft beers, camping.
Toughest job: Dealing with Jon Gooding
Favorite Sports/Teams: Cubs, Bears, PC Hawks
Most Interesting job: Serving as President on the school board.
Something special about me: I love being around people.
Job Description: Vice President, Sales
What I like about my job: The relationships I have built with employees and customers.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 28 years
Years working in management: 26 years
Special knowledge: Mechanical, electrical, and inventive skills. I am able to see poor quality from 30,000 feet.
Hobbies: Camping, craft breweries, working.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Packers, Cubs
Most Interesting job: Designing, inventing and looking at new equipment/technology.
Job Description: Oversee all aspects of Slagel Manufacturing, including operations, business development and planning, employee development, and customer management.
What I like about my job: Creating relationships with our customers and solving problems that allow us to meet their needs.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 2 years
Years working in management: 10 years
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing golf, and reading.
Toughest Job: Making sure we have enough coffee in the office for Don and Mark.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Indianapolis Colts
Most Interesting job: Creating and implementing long term strategies for sustained growth and success.
Job Description: Coordinate shop schedule
What I like about my job: Seeing satisfied employees and customers
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
Hobbies: Reading and outdoor activities.
Toughest Job: Deciding how to style my hair
Favorite Sports/Teams: Golf and disc golf
Most Interesting job: Trying to outwit my children
Something Special About Me: I’m Polish and can change a lightbulb
Job Description: Production Manager
What I like about my job: Not being tied down to one area and moving around the shop
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Common sense
Hobbies: Hunting and fishing
Toughest Job: Pouring concrete walls
Favorite Sports/Teams: White Sox and Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job: Building hotels over the road
Something Special About Me: I can chew gum and write my name at the same time.
What I like about work: Every day I am presented with opportunities to help the company become more successful by continuously improving our processes. Developing relationships with customers.
Years working in the fabricating industry: 35 years
Hobbies: Weekend “projects” with my grandson. Spending time with my family.
Toughest Job: Engineer working with a worldwide supply base.
Years working in engineering: 14 years
Favorite Sports/Teams: Drag Racing, Olympic sports, and anything Illini.
Most Interesting job: Firefighter/EMT for 20 years.
Describe Your Job: I work with customers to take their projects into production. It all starts with quoting where all the process work is setup. Including cut files for lasers, offline brake press programming, fixture design and offline robotic welding programming.
Job Description: Helping customers turn their ideas/sketches into 3D models and providing accurate quotes.
What I like about my job: I like the people I work with and like how every day is different.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 18 years.
Special Knowledge: AutoCAD, Solidworks, Robot programming.
Hobbies: Spending time with my family and playing disc golf.
Toughest Job: The toughest job is trying to figure out how to create parts the most efficient and effective way.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs.
Most Interesting job: They are all interesting in their own way, each job has its own unique challenges.
Something Special About Me: I’ve been playing disc golf for almost 8 years and have started teaching my kids to play.
Job Description: Manufacturing Engineer, Logistics support specialist and part time Harrow Expert!
What I like about my job: I enjoy the interesting group of people I work with. I also enjoy helping our customers on a variety of different projects. Oh, and I can’t forget about lunch time! I LOVE FOOD!!
Years working in the fabricating industry: 20 years, but only 14 of them at Slagel Mfg.
Special Knowledge: Designing and making paper airplanes
Hobbies: Kayaking, disc golf, DIY projects at home, and looking for the TV remote the kids lost in the couch.
Toughest Job: Trying to figure out why the shipping printer keeps printing two sided instead of single page.
Years working in engineering: 3 years.
Favorite Sport: Disc golf.
Describe and Interesting job you had: I helped design and install a disc golf course in my hometown.
Job Description: Office Manager - AKA Mom, counselor, babysitter, teacher, organizer, delegator, and enforcer.
What I like about my job: Having routine mixed with a bit of crazy.
Years working in office administration: 15 years.
Special Knowledge: Getting things done!
Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading and learning.
Toughest Job: Keeping my bosses in line.<br>
Most Interesting job: I owned and operated an in-home daycare for 12 years.
Something surprising about me: I can touch my nose with my tongue.
Job Description: Administrative Support Specialist – keeper of all things, knower of all things, and finder of all things.
What I like about my job: The people I work with and learning new things every day.
Years working in office administration: 17 years.
Special Knowledge: Keeper of all things, knower of all things, and finder of all things.
Hobbies: Camping.
Toughest Job: Being a mom.
Most Interesting job: Being a mom.
Something surprising about me: The pickiest of eaters.
Job Description: The Quality Guy
What I like about my job: Whatever the HR lady tells me I like…but also, working for some good ‘ol boys like the owners. Mark and Don are pretty good folks. It is a rare thing these days to work for a company where the owners do more than just know your name. You can tell a lot about a guy by the pickup he drives. Mark, for example is a genius, drives a Ford. Don on the other hand, drives Chevrolet…but in all seriousness. One of the aspects I like most about my job is working with various management team members alongside our talented operators to develop processes for continually improving ourselves, our products, and the company.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: The first garden gnomes were likely produced as early as the 1800’s in the German town of Grafenroda. And you can’t use pennies to pay at tollbooths – unless you’re in Illinois.
Hobbies: NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Toughest Job: Writing dad jokes that aren’t actually funny.
Favorite Sports/Teams: IMSA, NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Most Interesting job: Arborist and land conservationist.
Job Description: Head of Logistics
What I like about my job: Getting to interact with all the different truck drivers and creating friendships.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: Forklift experience and computer skills
Hobbies: Disc Golf, Home projects, and shooting sports
Toughest Job: Unloading the black pipe off a semi and having to drive the bundles into the building to put away in special racks.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job: Loading trucks and trailers with odd shaped parts.
Job Description: IT Manager, Safety Manager, Maintenance Technician, whatever my bosses want me to be that day.
What I like about my job: Wearing three different hats to work every day!
Years working in IT and Safety: I’ve been professionally working in the IT world for 16 years, but I’ve been into IT ever since I got my first computer around 30 years ago. I’ve played a part in industrial safety roles for the last 13 years. I have been the Safety Manager here going on three years now.
Special Knowledge: Banging your head against a wall for one hour burns 150 calories. 7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and six children, three dogs and a cat keep me pretty busy (but it’s mostly fun). I enjoy fixing things around the house as well as renovating. Whenever I get the chance, I like to play with tech gadgets and work on computers as well.
Toughest Job: Cleaning out the septic tank, you just never know what you will find.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Cubs
Most Interesting job: My many jobs take me to interesting places like the closet, the septic tank, on top of a giant oven, on the roof, and in the ceiling.
Something surprising about me: I can kick myself in the butt.
Job Description: Overseeing the company, steel purchasing.
What I like about my job: The relationships I’ve developed with customers, venders, and employees.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 40 years
Special knowledge: You get way better results with praise over criticism.
Hobbies: Trying different craft beers, camping.
Toughest job: Dealing with Jon Gooding
Favorite Sports/Teams: Cubs, Bears, PC Hawks
Most Interesting job: Serving as President on the school board.
Something special about me: I love being around people.
Job Description: Vice President, Sales
What I like about my job: The relationships I have built with employees and customers.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 28 years
Years working in management: 26 years
Special knowledge: Mechanical, electrical, and inventive skills. I am able to see poor quality from 30,000 feet.
Hobbies: Camping, craft breweries, working.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Packers, Cubs
Most Interesting job: Designing, inventing and looking at new equipment/technology.
Job Description: Oversee all aspects of Slagel Manufacturing, including operations, business development and planning, employee development, and customer management.
What I like about my job: Creating relationships with our customers and solving problems that allow us to meet their needs.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 2 years
Years working in management: 10 years
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing golf, and reading.
Toughest Job: Making sure we have enough coffee in the office for Don and Mark.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Indianapolis Colts
Most Interesting job: Creating and implementing long term strategies for sustained growth and success.
Job Description: Coordinate shop schedule
What I like about my job: Seeing satisfied employees and customers
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
Hobbies: Reading and outdoor activities.
Toughest Job: Deciding how to style my hair
Favorite Sports/Teams: Golf and disc golf
Most Interesting job: Trying to outwit my children
Something Special About Me: I’m Polish and can change a lightbulb
Job Description: Production Manager
What I like about my job: Not being tied down to one area and moving around the shop
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Common sense
Hobbies: Hunting and fishing
Toughest Job: Pouring concrete walls
Favorite Sports/Teams: White Sox and Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job: Building hotels over the road
Something Special About Me: I can chew gum and write my name at the same time.
What I like about work: Every day I am presented with opportunities to help the company become more successful by continuously improving our processes. Developing relationships with customers.
Years working in the fabricating industry: 35 years
Hobbies: Weekend “projects” with my grandson. Spending time with my family.
Toughest Job: Engineer working with a worldwide supply base.
Years working in engineering: 14 years
Favorite Sports/Teams: Drag Racing, Olympic sports, and anything Illini.
Most Interesting job: Firefighter/EMT for 20 years.
Describe Your Job: I work with customers to take their projects into production. It all starts with quoting where all the process work is setup. Including cut files for lasers, offline brake press programming, fixture design and offline robotic welding programming.
Job Description: Helping customers turn their ideas/sketches into 3D models and providing accurate quotes.
What I like about my job: I like the people I work with and like how every day is different.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 18 years.
Special Knowledge: AutoCAD, Solidworks, Robot programming.
Hobbies: Spending time with my family and playing disc golf.
Toughest Job: The toughest job is trying to figure out how to create parts the most efficient and effective way.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs.
Most Interesting job: They are all interesting in their own way, each job has its own unique challenges.
Something Special About Me: I’ve been playing disc golf for almost 8 years and have started teaching my kids to play.
Job Description: Manufacturing Engineer, Logistics support specialist and part time Harrow Expert!
What I like about my job: I enjoy the interesting group of people I work with. I also enjoy helping our customers on a variety of different projects. Oh, and I can’t forget about lunch time! I LOVE FOOD!!
Years working in the fabricating industry: 20 years, but only 14 of them at Slagel Mfg.
Special Knowledge: Designing and making paper airplanes
Hobbies: Kayaking, disc golf, DIY projects at home, and looking for the TV remote the kids lost in the couch.
Toughest Job: Trying to figure out why the shipping printer keeps printing two sided instead of single page.
Years working in engineering: 3 years.
Favorite Sport: Disc golf.
Describe and Interesting job you had: I helped design and install a disc golf course in my hometown.
Job Description: Office Manager - AKA Mom, counselor, babysitter, teacher, organizer, delegator, and enforcer.
What I like about my job: Having routine mixed with a bit of crazy.
Years working in office administration: 15 years.
Special Knowledge: Getting things done!
Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading and learning.
Toughest Job: Keeping my bosses in line.<br>
Most Interesting job: I owned and operated an in-home daycare for 12 years.
Something surprising about me: I can touch my nose with my tongue.
Job Description: Administrative Support Specialist – keeper of all things, knower of all things, and finder of all things.
What I like about my job: The people I work with and learning new things every day.
Years working in office administration: 17 years.
Special Knowledge: Keeper of all things, knower of all things, and finder of all things.
Hobbies: Camping.
Toughest Job: Being a mom.
Most Interesting job: Being a mom.
Something surprising about me: The pickiest of eaters.
Job Description: The Quality Guy
What I like about my job: Whatever the HR lady tells me I like…but also, working for some good ‘ol boys like the owners. Mark and Don are pretty good folks. It is a rare thing these days to work for a company where the owners do more than just know your name. You can tell a lot about a guy by the pickup he drives. Mark, for example is a genius, drives a Ford. Don on the other hand, drives Chevrolet…but in all seriousness. One of the aspects I like most about my job is working with various management team members alongside our talented operators to develop processes for continually improving ourselves, our products, and the company.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: The first garden gnomes were likely produced as early as the 1800’s in the German town of Grafenroda. And you can’t use pennies to pay at tollbooths – unless you’re in Illinois.
Hobbies: NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Toughest Job: Writing dad jokes that aren’t actually funny.
Favorite Sports/Teams: IMSA, NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Most Interesting job: Arborist and land conservationist.
Job Description: Head of Logistics
What I like about my job: Getting to interact with all the different truck drivers and creating friendships.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: Forklift experience and computer skills
Hobbies: Disc Golf, Home projects, and shooting sports
Toughest Job: Unloading the black pipe off a semi and having to drive the bundles into the building to put away in special racks.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job: Loading trucks and trailers with odd shaped parts.
Job Description: IT Manager, Safety Manager, Maintenance Technician, whatever my bosses want me to be that day.
What I like about my job: Wearing three different hats to work every day!
Years working in IT and Safety: I’ve been professionally working in the IT world for 16 years, but I’ve been into IT ever since I got my first computer around 30 years ago. I’ve played a part in industrial safety roles for the last 13 years. I have been the Safety Manager here going on three years now.
Special Knowledge: Banging your head against a wall for one hour burns 150 calories. 7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and six children, three dogs and a cat keep me pretty busy (but it’s mostly fun). I enjoy fixing things around the house as well as renovating. Whenever I get the chance, I like to play with tech gadgets and work on computers as well.
Toughest Job: Cleaning out the septic tank, you just never know what you will find.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Cubs
Most Interesting job: My many jobs take me to interesting places like the closet, the septic tank, on top of a giant oven, on the roof, and in the ceiling.
Something surprising about me: I can kick myself in the butt.
Mark Slagel | President
What I like about my job: The relationships I’ve developed with customers, venders, and employees.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 40 years
Special knowledge: You get way better results with praise over criticism.
Hobbies: Trying different craft beers, camping.
Toughest job: Dealing with Jon Gooding
Favorite Sports/Teams: Cubs, Bears, PC Hawks
Most Interesting job: Serving as President on the school board.
Something special about me: I love being around people.
Don Slagel | Vice President
What I like about my job: The relationships I have built with employees and customers.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 28 years
Years working in management: 26 years
Special knowledge: Mechanical, electrical, and inventive skills. I am able to see poor quality from 30,000 feet.
Hobbies: Camping, craft breweries, working.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Packers, Cubs
Most Interesting job: Designing, inventing and looking at new equipment/technology.
Tim Hanna | General Manager
What I like about my job: Creating relationships with our customers and solving problems that allow us to meet their needs.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 2 years
Years working in management: 10 years
Hobbies:I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing golf, and reading.
Toughest Job: Making sure we have enough coffee in the office for Don and Mark.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Indianapolis Colts
Most Interesting job: Creating and implementing long term strategies for sustained growth and success.
Sebastian Mekarski |
Head of Production
What I like about my job: Seeing satisfied employees and customers
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
Hobbies: Reading and outdoor activities.
Toughest Job: Deciding how to style my hair
Favorite Sports/Teams: Golf and disc golf
Most Interesting job: Trying to outwit my children
Something Special About Me: I’m Polish and can change a lightbulb
Ron Folk, Jr. | Production Manager
What I like about my job: Not being tied down to one area and moving around the shop
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 17 years
Special Knowledge: Common sense
Hobbies: Hunting and fishing
Toughest Job: Pouring concrete walls
Favorite Sports/Teams: White Sox and Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job: Building hotels over the road
Something Special About Me: I can chew gum and write my name at the same time.
Todd Freehill |
Head of Engineering
Years working in the fabricating industry: 35 years
Hobbies: Weekend “projects” with my grandson. Spending time with my family.
Toughest Job: Engineer working with a worldwide supply base.
Years working in engineering: 14 years
Favorite Sports/Teams: Drag Racing, Olympic sports, and anything Illini.
Most Interesting job: Firefighter/EMT for 20 years.
Describe Your Job: I work with customers to take their projects into production. It all starts with quoting where all the process work is setup. Including cut files for lasers, offline brake press programming, fixture design and offline robotic welding programming.
Andrew Wright |
Manufacturing Engineer
What I like about my job: I like the people I work with and like how every day is different.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 18 years.
Special Knowledge: AutoCAD, Solidworks, Robot programming.
Hobbies: Spending time with my family and playing disc golf.
Toughest Job: The toughest job is trying to figure out how to create parts the most efficient and effective way.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs.
Most Interesting job: They are all interesting in their own way, each job has its own unique challenges.
Something Special About Me: I’ve been playing disc golf for almost 8 years and have started teaching my kids to play.
Jessie Toohill | Manufacturing Engineer
& Logistics Assistant
What I like about my job: I enjoy the interesting group of people I work with. I also enjoy helping our customers on a variety of different projects. Oh, and I can’t forget about lunch time! I LOVE FOOD!!
Years working in the fabricating industry: 20 years, but only 14 of them at Slagel Mfg.
Special Knowledge: Designing and making paper airplanes
Hobbies: Kayaking, disc golf, DIY projects at home, and looking for the TV remote the kids lost in the couch.
Toughest Job: Trying to figure out why the shipping printer keeps printing two sided instead of single page.
Years working in engineering: 3 years.
Favorite Sport: Disc golf.
Describe and Interesting job you had: I helped design and install a disc golf course in my hometown.
Christie Todd | Office Manager
What I like about my job: Having routine mixed with a bit of crazy.
Years working in office administration: 15 years.
Special Knowledge: Getting things done!
Hobbies: Traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading and learning.
Toughest Job: Keeping my bosses in line.
Most Interesting job: I owned and operated an in-home daycare for 12 years.
Something surprising about me: I can touch my nose with my tongue.
Jessica Nash |
Administrative Support Specialist
What I like about my job: The people I work with and learning new things every day.
Years working in office administration: 17 years.
Special Knowledge:Keeper of all things, knower of all things, and finder of all things.
Hobbies: Camping.
Toughest Job: Being a mom.
Most Interesting job: Being a mom.
Something surprising about me: The pickiest of eaters.
Paul Lahr | Quality Manager
What I like about my job: Whatever the HR lady tells me I like…but also, working for some good ‘ol boys like the owners. Mark and Don are pretty good folks. It is a rare thing these days to work for a company where the owners do more than just know your name. You can tell a lot about a guy by the pickup he drives. Mark, for example is a genius, drives a Ford. Don on the other hand, drives Chevrolet…but in all seriousness. One of the aspects I like most about my job is working with various management team members alongside our talented operators to develop processes for continually improving ourselves, our products, and the company.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: The first garden gnomes were likely produced as early as the 1800’s in the German town of Grafenroda. And you can’t use pennies to pay at tollbooths – unless you’re in Illinois.
Hobbies: NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Toughest Job: Writing dad jokes that aren’t actually funny.
Favorite Sports/Teams: IMSA, NASA, USPSA, SCCA, IDPA
Most Interesting job: Arborist and land conservationist.
Tim Jones | Head of Logistics
What I like about my job: Getting to interact with all the different truck drivers and creating friendships.
Years working in the steel fabrication industry: 4 years.
Special Knowledge: Forklift experience and computer skills
Hobbies: Disc Golf, Home projects, and shooting sports
Toughest Job: Unloading the black pipe off a semi and having to drive the bundles into the building to put away in special racks.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears
Most Interesting job:Loading trucks and trailers with odd shaped parts.
Jon Gooding | IT and Safety Manager
What I like about my job: Wearing three different hats to work every day!
Years working in IT and Safety: I’ve been professionally working in the IT world for 16 years, but I’ve been into IT ever since I got my first computer around 30 years ago. I’ve played a part in industrial safety roles for the last 13 years. I have been the Safety Manager here going on three years now.
Special Knowledge: Banging your head against a wall for one hour burns 150 calories. 7% of American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and six children, three dogs and a cat keep me pretty busy (but it’s mostly fun). I enjoy fixing things around the house as well as renovating. Whenever I get the chance, I like to play with tech gadgets and work on computers as well.
Toughest Job: Cleaning out the septic tank, you just never know what you will find.
Favorite Sports/Teams: Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Cubs
Most Interesting job: My many jobs take me to interesting places like the closet, the septic tank, on top of a giant oven, on the roof, and in the ceiling.
Something surprising about me: I can kick myself in the butt.