The People Behind the Projects: What Makes the JDI Contracts Team Different

In industrial engineering and construction, experience matters. Not just the number of years someone has worked in the industry, but what they've actually done during those years. The facilities they've helped build, the equipment they've worked on, the problems they've solved, and the decisions they've had to make when things didn't go according to plan.

At JDI Contracts, we have a team with a remarkably broad range of that experience. Some of our people have spent decades working inside industrial facilities, managing operations, developing control systems, and overseeing complex construction projects. Others bring more recent engineering education, emerging technologies, and different approaches to longstanding challenges.

What's interesting about this group isn't simply the individual qualifications. It's how those different backgrounds come together when a client brings us a complicated problem.

An engineer who has spent years in plant operations approaches a project differently than someone whose career has been focused on mechanical design. A controls specialist sees considerations that a construction manager might not immediately recognize. Someone who has supervised contractors in the field brings another perspective entirely. When those people work together, the conversation becomes more complete, and so does the solution.

That combination of knowledge, experience, and practical judgment has been an important part of JDI since the company was founded in 2003. It's also one of the reasons we believe the people working on a project matter just as much as the processes used to manage it.

Experience You Can't Learn From a Textbook

There's a particular kind of knowledge that comes from spending years in industrial environments. You learn that even the best engineering design has to account for the realities of installation, maintenance, production schedules, and the people responsible for operating the equipment long after a project is finished.

Our president and co-founder, Roger Hoyum, understands that firsthand. With more than 37 years of executive experience in engineering, construction, project management, and operations, Roger began his career as an electrical engineer and maintenance supervisor at LTV Steel Mining Company.

He later moved into process automation with Cleveland-Cliffs, working on plant-wide integrated automation projects at facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

That background helped shape JDI's approach to industrial engineering and project management. A project isn't successful simply because the drawings are complete or the equipment has been installed. The finished system has to work within the larger operation, meet the client's objectives, and remain practical to operate and maintain.

Other members of our team bring equally valuable experience from different areas of heavy industry.

Mark Erikstrup has more than 30 years of experience in industrial automation, instrumentation, and control systems. His background includes plant-wide process improvements, control system design, technical troubleshooting, and commissioning. Steven Edgington brings extensive heavy industrial electrical and controls engineering experience, including complex systems integration, material handling, procurement, installation, and startup.

Michael Rudolph adds more than 30 years of commercial, industrial, and institutional electrical contracting experience. His work has included project management, field supervision, estimating, and electrical design, giving him a practical understanding of what happens between an approved drawing and a completed installation.

These aren't just qualifications on a résumé. They represent years spent understanding how equipment behaves, how facilities operate, and what can happen when decisions made early in a project don't account for conditions in the field.

For clients managing aging equipment, complicated system interfaces, or facilities that need to remain operational during construction, that experience can make a substantial difference.

Different Backgrounds Bring Different Perspectives

One of the things we value about the JDI team is that not everyone arrived here by following the same career path.

Industrial projects rarely fit neatly into one discipline. A mechanical modification may affect electrical systems. A controls upgrade can require changes to the production process. A construction schedule may depend on procurement decisions made months earlier. And even a technically sound solution has to make financial sense.

That's why we value people who can see beyond their individual responsibilities.

David Schaeffer, for example, brings experience in engineering, business ownership, industrial operations, and construction management. Before joining JDI as a contractor coordinator, he managed manufacturing operations, helped lead major facility expansions, and participated in the development of a new mining site. He's familiar with the business considerations behind industrial investments, not just the construction activities involved.

Mechanical engineer Braeden Lawrence brings experience in mechanical systems design, operations support, procurement, and project coordination. His work has included commercial HVAC systems, wastewater treatment equipment, and industrial construction, with responsibilities extending from design through startup.

Brady Hansen contributes another combination of skills. His background in mechanical design and fabrication includes work on retractable stadium roof systems, along with hands-on experience in carpentry, automotive repair, and other mechanical disciplines.

There is something particularly useful about having people who understand both how a system is designed and what it takes to build it. They tend to ask practical questions early. Can the equipment be accessed for maintenance? Will the installation sequence work? Are there complications that might not be obvious until construction begins?

Those questions don't always lead to dramatic changes. Sometimes they lead to relatively small adjustments that prevent much larger problems later.

The point isn't that everyone needs to know everything. It's that a strong industrial engineering team benefits from having people who recognize when another discipline's knowledge needs to be part of the conversation.

When Experience Makes the Difference

A recent industrial project provides a good example of why that combination of expertise matters.

JDI served as the lead engineering and project management firm for a large industrial crystallizer/evaporator system. The equipment alone presented significant challenges: a pressure vessel standing 40 feet tall and a process skid weighing approximately 55,000 pounds.

Eight companies, including JDI, were involved in the project, contributing specialized expertise in engineering, pressure vessel fabrication, structural steel, piping, blowers, electrical controls, water treatment equipment, and systems integration.

Much of that work was being completed by different companies in different locations. Each organization had its own responsibilities, but every component ultimately needed to become part of one functioning system.

For JDI, that meant looking beyond individual engineering drawings and equipment specifications. Our responsibility included understanding how the components would connect, verifying critical dimensions, coordinating fabrication activities, and making sure decisions made by one contractor wouldn't create problems for another.

During fabrication, the JDI team traveled to inspect the pressure vessel, conducting dimensional checks, reviewing welds, confirming nozzle placement, and witnessing hydrostatic testing.

One issue that surfaced during this process demonstrated exactly why experienced engineering oversight matters.

An incomplete weld profile was identified on a safety platform brace. The vessel had already completed hydrostatic testing, which meant additional welding directly on the pressure boundary was heavily restricted.

It would have been easy for a relatively small fabrication discrepancy to turn into a much larger scheduling and coordination problem.

Instead, the team worked with the fabrication partners to develop a compliant solution that addressed the issue without unnecessary rework or delays.

It wasn't the kind of problem that would have appeared in the original project schedule. But it required engineering judgment, knowledge of fabrication requirements, communication between companies, and an understanding of how the proposed solution could affect the rest of the project.

The project also faced procurement challenges related to global import tariffs and material shortages, along with overlapping design reviews and approval cycles. Keeping everything moving required ongoing coordination across multiple companies, each managing its own part of the work.

The pressure vessel ultimately passed its required inspection, the process skid was fabricated to specification, and the integrated system was successfully delivered.

There is a great deal more to the project than we can cover here, but it illustrates something important about the people involved. Technical knowledge is essential. So is the ability to work with other specialists, recognize potential problems, and stay engaged until a solution is found.

That's the kind of practical experience we want represented on the JDI team.

For a closer look at this project, including the specialty contractors involved and the coordination required, read our article, What It Really Takes to Pull Off a Complex Industrial Project: Lessons from the Field.

Bringing Experience Forward

Experience like this is valuable on its own. But there's another responsibility that comes with it: making sure the knowledge gained from these projects isn't lost as the industry changes and a new generation of engineers enters the workforce.

Anyone who has worked in industrial operations for a long time has seen how much knowledge can leave a facility when an experienced employee retires.

Some of the most valuable engineering lessons aren't found in manuals. They come from working alongside someone who remembers why a particular system was designed a certain way, understands the limitations of older equipment, or recognizes a problem because they've encountered something similar before.

At JDI, we're fortunate to have experienced professionals working alongside engineers who are still developing their careers.

Dane Kennedy and Cooper Antikainen bring backgrounds in applied engineering, design, prototyping, technical analysis, and collaborative problem-solving. Their education and hands-on project work introduce different tools and approaches to the challenges our clients face.

Kyle Ledermann brings expertise in mechatronics engineering, connecting mechanical, electrical, and computer systems. His work across JDI Contracts and JDI Net supports network deployments, system improvements, and the technical coordination needed when industrial equipment and information technology intersect.

These capabilities matter as industrial facilities become increasingly connected and dependent on integrated technologies.

Having different generations of engineers working together creates opportunities for knowledge to move in both directions. Developing engineers gain exposure to the practical judgment that comes from decades in the industry. Experienced professionals benefit from working alongside people with newer technical training and different approaches to solving problems.

We don't see that as one generation replacing another. We see it as an opportunity to build on what previous generations have learned while preparing for the work that's ahead.

The Strength of a Team Goes Beyond Engineering

When people think about industrial engineering firms, they naturally focus on technical expertise. Mechanical engineering, electrical design, automation, and process controls are essential services, but they're only part of what it takes to deliver a successful project.

Someone also has to coordinate contractors, manage schedules, track costs, review documentation, communicate with vendors, and make sure the work happening in the field matches the overall project objectives.

Those responsibilities aren't secondary to engineering. They're closely connected to it.

At JDI, our capabilities are organized across four Centers of Excellence: Leadership, Technical Services, Business Services, and Field Support.

Each brings a different set of skills to the organization, and together they allow us to approach projects from several perspectives.

Leadership provides direction and project oversight. Technical Services supports engineering, design, and specialized technical requirements. Business Services addresses the financial, administrative, and information management responsibilities that help projects stay organized. Field Support connects planning with construction activities, contractor coordination, safety, and the practical conditions encountered on site.

Not every client needs every service. Some need an experienced project manager who can lead a complicated expansion. Others need additional engineering resources, specialized controls expertise, or field coordination during a facility upgrade.

Having those capabilities available allows JDI to provide support that fits the actual requirements of the project.

It also gives our people access to colleagues with different backgrounds when a problem extends beyond their immediate area of responsibility.

Good Engineering Still Comes Down to People

Engineering tools, software, and project management systems have changed considerably over the years. The ability to model equipment, share information, analyze systems, and coordinate work across locations continues to improve.

Those advances are important, and we use technology to support the work we do. But there's still a human element that can't be overlooked.

Someone has to recognize when a design doesn't make sense for the conditions in the field. Someone has to ask the question that hasn't been considered. Someone has to recognize when a contractor needs additional information, when a schedule is becoming unrealistic, or when a seemingly minor issue deserves closer attention.

And when a project becomes difficult, someone has to help the people involved find a practical way forward.

That's one reason our company philosophy, Connecting People, Solving Problems, continues to reflect how we work.

It isn't about suggesting that JDI has every answer or that one organization can manage every challenge without help. Some of the best solutions come from listening to the people who know a facility, understanding the expertise of specialty contractors, and bringing the appropriate resources together.

Our clients know their operations. Our engineers and project managers bring experience from other facilities, industries, and technical disciplines. When those perspectives come together, there's an opportunity to develop better solutions than either group might reach independently.

The same is true within our own team.

We're proud of the qualifications our people have earned and the projects they've completed. But what we value just as much is their willingness to share what they know, consider another person's perspective, and take responsibility for the work in front of them.

The People Behind JDI Contracts

When you look through the backgrounds of the people at JDI, you'll find experience in mining, manufacturing, construction, electrical systems, mechanical design, industrial automation, business operations, and information technology.

You'll also find people at different stages of their careers, with different educational backgrounds and different ways of approaching technical challenges.

We believe that's a strength.

A complicated industrial project doesn't need a room full of people who think exactly alike. It needs people who understand their responsibilities, respect the expertise of others, and recognize that the best result depends on how well everyone works together.

The caliber of our team matters to us because the work our clients bring us matters. They trust us with projects that affect their facilities, their employees, their production, and their businesses. That responsibility deserves capable people who bring both technical knowledge and practical experience to the table.

We're proud of the team we've assembled at JDI Contracts, and we believe their backgrounds tell an important part of our story.

Get to know the people behind JDI Contracts. Visit our Meet Our Team page to learn more about their professional backgrounds, technical expertise, and the experience they bring to our clients.

If you're planning an industrial expansion, facility upgrade, or complex engineering project, contact JDI Contracts to discuss how our team can support yours.