NES February Employee Spotlight
Josh “Wolfinator” Wolf
By now, our custom bearing manufacturing goals for 2025 have been well-documented:
We must – and we’ve already begun – to increase throughput capacity to meet a higher volume of orders over the next year.
To help us reach that goal, we’ve added more personnel and machines to keep our plant floor humming. But we’ve also embraced the fact that, to reap the potential rewards of a big production year, each of us must work a little bit harder.
And Josh Wolf has embodied that sentiment.
Wolf, over the last three months, at times, has been running three different mills simultaneously – two VF2s and a VF4. He’s also assisted with secondary processing through our tumbling equipment.
In short, Wolf, like many others, has gone above and beyond in his role as a Napoleon Engineering Services machinist. And that’s what makes him a worthy selection for this month’s employee spotlight.
When asked about running a trio of machines, Wolf, who’s approaching his 14-year anniversary at NES, was modest.
“That’s only applicable sometimes,” he said. “If I have parts running on all three machines and I can kind of circle around and change parts around, (I will). But if I have to do a setup on one of those machines, it takes away that ability to run around.
“I keep two going pretty consistently. But if the work piles up, I’ll get three going.”
WHILE HIS approach may vary, his commitment level remains unwavering.
Wolf arrives early each morning, knows what he has to do and quietly, and methodically, goes about getting it done.
“I see what’s on the table,” he said flatly. “Usually, unless I’m told otherwise, I just pick and choose from what’s ready for me on the table. Sometimes, something will have priority; I make sure that gets done first. But I see what’s available, I pick out what makes the most sense to run next and I set the job up, run it and move it along to wherever it goes next.”
Wolf enjoys his end of the custom bearing manufacturing channel. Whereas a lathe, which is used to make cylindrical parts, is centered around a spinning part and a stationary cutting tool, a mill is essentially the opposite: the part is stationary, and the tool is mobile. And he can move that tool in any direction.
Wolf takes great satisfaction in seeing a part go from point A to point B.
“I like seeing something completed, something going from start to finish,” he said. “Like any task, you want to see the task done and put away nice and move on to the next step neat and organized. You get to see the job get done. You can actually see the progress as you go.”
WOLF HAS come a long way in his nearly 14 years at NES.
Early in his career here, Wolf, Alex Pingitore and Chris Truman attended a machine tool show at Morris Great Lakes in Cranberry Township, Pa. Well, something must have happened because, much to Alex and Chris’ delight, Josh’s name tag that day read, “Josh Wolfinator.” And the salesman they spoke with really took to “Josh Wolfinator,” Truman recalled.
His effort, however, has always been greatly appreciated.
“Josh is a very-hard working individual,” Truman said. “He’s the kind of person who will put in countless hours to meet a deadline, demonstrating a real commitment to his work and the team. I have always appreciated the leadership he brings to the milling department.”
Outside of work, Wolf enjoys being outside, hunting and going out with his dogs. But here, he’s grateful for the February spotlight honor.
“It’s nice to see that someone notices that the work is moving along,” said Wolf, a graduate of both Allegany-Limestone and Alfred State (2009). “I’d rather be noticed in that way than any other way. I guess that’s the kind of attention that I would prefer.
“But that’s the other thing: it’s pretty self-reliant back there as far as (Chris) Truman and (Ed) Treat. I need the bare minimum from them; I don’t want to bother them, they have enough to do, that kind of deal. If they want something, it will be the priority; if they don’t, it’ll get done. That relationship is good.”