Matt Kurtenbach serves as the Vice President of Manufacturing at Daktronics. He is responsible for ensuring that every factory is prepared to meet the needs of customers now and in the future.
To achieve this, he manages production demands through the four Ps – People, Parts, Plant, and Process.
This involves employing people with the right skill sets, working the supply chain to ensure the right parts are in place at the right time, overseeing environmental health and safety within the plants, and implementing emerging technologies to optimize processes.
Since 2001 when he started this role, the number of Daktronics manufacturing employees has doubled, technology has advanced from producing Glow Cube and light bulb displays to narrow pixel pitch LED products, and assembly has shifted from almost entirely manual to highly automated.
Because of this growth, Matt has led the company’s manufacturing transformation from custom job production to Lean continuous improvement production. He guided the restructuring of factories into value streams and conversion of production cells to flow production.
Prior to leading manufacturing, Matt served in several responsibilities including General Manager of Star Circuits, Inc., Project Manager in the Sports Applications department, and Project Manager for process improvement and facility expansion.
Matt has also served in many civic and charitable organizations over the years, including as a past president of the Brookings Economic Development Corporation, a member of the Chamber Board of Directors, and on the Engineering College Dean’s Advisory Council at South Dakota State University.
He spends most of his spare time with his wife Melissa and his four children, attending their sports and music activities. He also enjoys pheasant hunting, golf and supporting SDSU and Minnesota sports teams.
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a minor in math as well as a master’s in industrial management, all from South Dakota State University.