Charlie Hutzel, Plant Manager

An outdoorsman at heart who enjoys the feeling of accomplishment when tasks are complete, Charlie has been able to translate many of the skills he gained from serving in the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer into Advance’s day-to-day operations. His mission focused leadership style has allowed him to cultivate a family atmosphere on the shop floor, while ensuring team members create finished projects that meet or exceed the expectations Advance’s clients have grown accustomed to.

As the Plant Manager overseeing 25 fabricators and machine operators day-to-day, Charlie understands the importance of a regimented process, especially when it comes to training and safety. Setting the standard and implementing the process for the entire onboarding and safety training curriculum, he aims for all plant employees to receive consistent and complete training across the board. His efforts impact the team daily by reducing errors, improving the upkeep and maintenance on machinery, and most importantly ensuring the safety of all team members. He also acknowledges the important role team dynamics play in collaboration, and manages personalities, project handoffs across teams, as well as the coordination of scheduling and job priorities.

Charlie looks forward to greeting everyone at the plant each day. You’ll likely meet him with a “good morning/afternoon, sunshine” and cheerful smile when you see him. Though Charlie’s background has not been in the steel industry, he has been able to fulfil his desire for accomplishment through the oversight of clients’ designs and plans coming to fruition. “Every step forward is getting us closer to the goals of the client, ultimately contributing to Advance’s progress.” He values the opportunity of finding efficiencies and improvements through mistakes and initial failures.

“Yes, it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. You’ll be dirty at the end of each day, and it’s hard work that’s physically demanding. But for someone who likes creating, you’re rolling up your sleeves and building large structures that support the power infrastructure all over the nation.”

If you don’t see Charlie at the plant, he’s likely working outside, enjoying the water, or hunting. While serving in the Navy, he’s been on both sides of South America and halfway through the Panama Canal. Charlie too, had his claim to fame from winning a belly flop tournament back in summer camp from his younger years. (Is there a trend with water and Advance’s management team?)