Stephen Kauffman

With 29 years in manufacturing, Stephen Kauffman has learned a thing or two about keeping a lot of moving pieces moving in the same direction. As National Manufacturing Group’s Supply Chain Manager, Stephen coordinates everything from raw material sourcing and production scheduling to warehousing and final delivery—all with the goal of keeping operations responsive, costs under control and customers happy.

Throughout his career, Stephen has worked across a range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, power systems, recreational products and energetics. His specialty? Finding patterns in the chaos and using data to turn those patterns into solutions. He loves manufacturing because it provides the opportunity to take an intangible idea and turn it into something real.

One of Stephen’s proudest career accomplishments was helping lead the consolidation of roughly 60 facilities into an expanded Joplin manufacturing operation—finishing ahead of schedule and under budget despite an incredible number of moving parts. At National, he’s excited to put that experience to work helping the company grow while continuing to expand his role in supply chain and operations.

Away from work, Stephen is much more likely to be found packing up the Jeep and heading for the creek. He loves camping, canoeing and spending an evening around a riverside campfire with friends. He’s also a short-story writer with several published works, an Ireland National Rugby Team fan, and apparently the guy you do not want sitting next to you during a movie—he claims he can figure out the plot within the first 10 minutes.

At home, Stephen shares the roost with quite the crew: Rotten Rigby the Terrible Dog, his Labradane and resident protector; Oliver Mowgli, a slightly feral Husky-Coyote mix and self-appointed provider; Little Anne, the Redbone Coonhound princess; and Piper, the 14-year-old cat who actually runs the place.

These days, Stephen’s favorite destination is Whidbey Island, Washington, where his daughter and son-in-law, who is active-duty Navy, are stationed. With plenty of outdoor adventures to enjoy and the chance to see both of his kids in one trip, Washington has quickly become his go-to getaway.

And when it’s time to fuel another busy day? Stephen’s order is a Venti iced latte with two extra shots—which suddenly explains how he manages the supply chain.