Kevin Janis is the Business Development Manager at Reliant Aluminum Products.
Previously, he was owner of Atlas Anodizing Products Wausau, Wisconsin, and worked for several years in China as a consultant in the anodizing industry.
How did you get your start in the finishing industry?
Kevin JanisOut of college, I went to work for UOP as an assistant research chemist. UOP at that time was jointly held between Allied Signal and Union Carbide. I worked in the Manufacturing Science department that had an interesting mission to take promising projects from the scientific bench to commercial production. The main project I had was a “free cooling” project that used an adsorbent developed for an automobile’s exhaust system and a plant’s waste heat for generation to chill a water reservoir. We needed to coat the adsorbent on a metal (aluminum) substrate. This was my first exposure to aluminum finishing. However, my full-fledged start to aluminum finishing came when I left research and development and took an operational management position at Linetec, serving as their Anodizing Technical Manager.
What do you enjoy best about the industry?
I like the diversity of products the industry touches. Just my little niche of aluminum anodizing involves products from cosmetics to gun parts to aerospace to skyscrapers. It is a challenging amalgam of technical issues, process limitations, end-user knowledge, marketing, and organizational psychology.
Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
Janis is also the Cubmaster for his son’s Cub Scout Pack.Definitely half empty. My entire career has always had a process improvement bend to it. So, I am always trying to define the ideal and a way to achieve it.
What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?
In my younger days, I was always fascinated by “bushcraft” and loved movies like Jeremiah Johnson. So, my answer to this is going to be pragmatic. An ax, a knife, and a metal pot. Solving most survival elements can be achieved with these three items.
What was your favorite subject in school?
Philosophy, but specifically social/political philosophy around the distribution of public goods and whether there are non-coercive solutions to the prisoner’s dilemma.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
I have eaten miles of duck bowel from my time living in China.
Do you collect anything?
Not just anything … everything! Mostly, I collect books. If I get interested in something, I’ll get a book about its history, how to do it, etc. Since the birth of my son, the family has begun a serious Lego collection. I am absolutely amazed at how complex Legos have become since my childhood. I had a coffee can of blocks, and that was it. Most of the stuff you could build was pretty limited to simple architectural shapes. Now, the complexity is amazing.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Neither. I am completely okay with being alone when the situation calls for it and really enjoy being around other people.
Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?
My sense of smell has always been pretty good. As a chemist, I know that you aren’t supposed to go around smelling every chemical. However, for processes that you know well, the smell can often be an indicator of things going well or bad. This is a big step up from some of the training I had in refining technology. The old-timers would sample the product by taste and could tell if things were good or bad. This was always prefaced with “now, don’t you do this, but ….”
Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous?
I haven’t been too interested in my family’s genealogy. I know that my mom’s side goes back to the American Revolution and was a border family during the Civil War with relatives serving on both sides of the conflict.
What do you do to keep fit?
I am the Cubmaster for my son’s Cub Scout Pack. Trying to keep up with all of them is what I do to keep fit. It doesn’t work. It only reminds me of how much more I have to get in shape.
If you were ruler of your own country, what would be the first law you would introduce?
I would bring back more physical education and music education to our K-12 programs.
What three things do you think of the most each day?
A project that Janis and his son worked on for the Cub Scouts.Not surprisingly, family is first. Maybe I’ll end up making some big contribution to the world in some other way, but being a good father is the most important thing I can achieve. Second, though it will likely sound self-serving, is the well-being of my customers. The first thing I do every morning except on Sunday is check my phone for a voicemail, text, or email so I can respond to any problems or questions. I’ve been there, waiting for a crucial piece of information in dealing with a production issue, so I know how long that time can be. Finally, I think about my latest passion in life: scouting. Being the Cubmaster for my son’s Cub Scout pack has been a real joy. I am involved with improving programming and membership at the Council level, effecting the program across 13 counties in Wisconsin. I also serve as a counselor and mentor for STEM activities. I attribute any of the success I have had in life to the mentoring done by a couple of adults, so the opportunity to pay back their efforts with today’s youth is very satisfying.
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
If you ask me a question, please be prepared for a 30-minute monologue, especially if it’s a topic I am excited about.
What song would you say best sums you up?
As a Jimmy Buffet fan, I hope it is Last Mango in Paris and not A Pirate Looks at Forty
What celebrity would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?
Jordan Peterson. Agree or disagree with him; he is an extremely thought-provoking man.
What’s the most interesting thing you can see out of your office or kitchen window?
Consistent with my glass half empty world view, there is a flowering bush that is in desperate need of being trimmed.
On a scale of 1-10, how funny would you say you are?
In my mind, at least a 10, but my comedic fan base does not support this assertion.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope I am able to continue doing what I am doing. From a health perspective, we just never know when we won’t be able to do what we are currently doing. The world is also changing very fast. I don’t think it will be like it is now in 10 years.
What was your first job?
I was cutting grass for my neighbor — a former Chicago Bear defensive lineman — at age 9.
How many languages do you speak?
English and ever increasingly diminished Spanish.
Who is the most intelligent person you know?
Hands down, the smartest person I have known is Rajiv Maheswaran. Aside from being a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, I think he has pioneered “money ball” for basketball. He’s also a great athlete and was able to crush my tennis game back in college.
If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be?
I’ve always been partial to bears. They can be friendly and playful or grouchy and fierce. Though they can get scared, they really don’t have much to fear in the natural world.
What is one thing you will never do again?
Aside from never eating at a street food vendor in Beijing, I am pretty much up for trying anything again.
Who knows you the best?
My wife. Don’t tell her, though.
