Thomas McKaig

The bulk of my career has been in finance at Acme Manufacturing Company, where I am currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). My career-changing introduction to Acme came while I was in public accounting at Plante Moran, working on the Acme account. Eventually, Acme hired me as their Controller. They appreciated my expertise and experience, and I found that I enjoyed the challenges of working with a "mature" family-owned business. (Many family businesses don't make it to the 3rd generation, which is where Acme's leadership was at the time.) Acme specializes in metal finishing automation. We produce, program, and install robotic systems that finish (mostly) metal surfaces. Some of the many industries that use our automated machines are aerospace (airplane parts), precision medical devices (scalpels and more), the inside and outside of cylinders (engine pistons, gun barrels, etc.), consumer products (cookware, knives, tools, and many more). Closely-held businesses have unique circumstances, and Acme is no exception. As the finance person, I have had a key role in two successions, capital improvements, a major "from the ground up" construction project, a location change, downsizings and hirings, numerous contract negotiations, many international business dealings, including forming a foreign entity, a pandemic, and that is just the tip of the iceberg! Although we have a large, global footprint in the metal finishing industry, we are still a "small-ish" business. If you have ever worked in a small business, you know that it is not uncommon to "wear" many hats. While finance is my focus, I also support IT, HR, Operations, and am part of the strategic leadership team. I have learned that I thrive on the diversity of my role and need to be productive. Like everyone, I also need downtime to recharge. I enjoy all of the outdoor opportunities that Michigan offers, spending time at the lake, walking the dog, playing and watching sports, etc. While I am often very busy with opportunities at work, I also enjoy making new relationships, which is one of the reasons that I am on LinkedIn. If you're interested in #CorporateFinance, #SmallBusinessFinance, #InternationalBusiness, #Automation, #Robotics, #MetalFinishing, etc., please ask to connect with me. Be sure to attach a note so that we can immediately start getting to know one another.