ADEC Industries has been a manufacturing staple in Elkhart County for decades, and when change comes, ADEC adapts and thrives.

With Senior Manager Mike Clauss officially retiring in late May, a few employees are taking on different jobs in the company.

Robert Reynolds, Jane Ward, Ivy Pritchard and Ryan Gomez Wengerd have been mainstays at ADEC Industries and will be taking new positions.

Robert takes over as Facility Manager while Jane steps in as ADEC Industries’ sales and customer service representative. Ivy takes on the responsibilities of Program Manager and Ryan becomes a full-time Behavior Therapist.

“What’s nice is that they already work together and know each other, so they respect each other and have the common passions of ADEC Industries,” Vice President of Non-Residential Operations Michelle McGuin says. “It’s a really good feel. I’m excited about it and I think it’s already started to head in a good direction.”

To expand its market, ADEC Industries looks to bring in work from non-RV manufacturers. By not relying so much on the RV industry for work, ADEC Industries won’t be vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the RV market.

To find new companies to work with, Jane will be reaching out to different programs and see what work is available.

Her move is particularly exciting to Michelle, who said Jane approached her last year with a list of suggestions and improvements she believed could put ADEC Industries in a position to succeed in the long run. Impressed by her initiative and foresight, she was at the top of the list when it came time to fill the position.

“One of the advantages we have is that ADEC Industries has consistent, reliable employment,” Jane says. “We don’t have much turnover, and the people here really want to work.”

For Ryan, who has always lived in the Elkhart and Goshen area, moving to behavior therapist allows him to have more in-depth relationships with the individuals he works with. He’ll help them learn how to communicate, coping skills to manage anger and stress, or teaching how to handle different situations they’ll encounter in everyday life.

Before this position, he was involved in program management at ADEC Industries where he processed paperwork involving the Medicaid Waiver and did behavior management with ADEC’s individuals.

“I find this population is really excited to be with you and go through the day-to-day activities,” Ryan said. “They want to do things, they want to get better, they want to improve, but they also just want to hang out and be friends. It makes it easy for me to come to work.”

It’s easy for Ivy to come to work as well. An employee for six and a half years, she’s had the program manager role added to her plate in addition to the production manager duties she already had. With her new responsibilities, she’ll attend quarterly meetings, work with case managers and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities organization and keep the master file updated.

“I love the individuals and I love working with this team,” Ivy says. “You have to remember to expect the unexpected. If you think it’s going to be a routine day, it won’t be. It keeps the job interesting.”

For Robert, becoming the facility manager means the building is his domain. He’ll oversee everything from capitol expense reports to maintenance and service contracts. Before his current position, he was a cost estimator, where he quoted new materials and new jobs that came into ADEC and worked to make sure bids were good enough to get the job, but still profitable for ADEC Industries.

“There is a certain attachment to the people who are here,” Robert says. It’s a different mindset, you become friends with not just your coworkers but also the individuals.”