Celebrating Dan Krinock: The man behind Airo for nearly 40 years

At Pace, it’s our people who make the difference – who help differentiate our organization from the competition. So, as Dan Krinock transitions from president of our Airo Division in Loyalhanna, Penn. to a consultant for Pace leadership on special projects, we’re using this space to celebrate the man who dedicated nearly four decades of his life to the die casting industry and our Airo Division. After all, it would be difficult to tell the Pace story without feeling Dan’s influence.

“The early growth and success of Airo Die Casting was greatly influenced by Dan’s relentless search for the next innovative management trend,” said Scott Bull, CEO, Pace. “Dan has always embraced change, and this led Airo to become one of the most versatile and valuable divisions in the Pace family.”

“Dan always had a vision of what the next step should be and was able to communicate that vision – from the operator on the floor to the leadership of the company,” said Vinnie Battaglia, who worked side by side with Dan for the majority of his nearly 40 years at Airo.

Dan’s ability to innovate and lead has always been among his greatest traits. In 1976, he helped establish an identity for Airo as one of just two die casting facilities in North America capable of manufacturing blades for the gaseous diffusion industry. By the following decade, the Loyalhanna-based facility had evolved into a leader in the casting of conversion boxes for the booming cable television industry. In the late 1990s to early 2000s, he orchestrated the implementation to robotic technology, a central melt system and the facility’s first reciprocator. Under Dan’s leadership, Airo has emerged today as a 155,400-square-foot manufacturing facility with a full range of services and capabilities for the automotive, motorcycle, recreational vehicle and heatsink technology industries.

“I’ve worked with Dan for over 20 years and his focus has remained consistent from the beginning,” said Jeff Wareham, quality manager, Airo. “He always says, ‘If we aren’t improving, we’re going backward.’ He’s never satisfied with just doing what we’ve always done.”

It’s that approach that helped earn Airo the top Jobs First Governor’s ImPAct Award in June 2014. The award ­­– presented annually by the governor of Pennsylvania – recognizes businesses across the state that have made a positive impact on local and state economies through consistent job growth, associate retention and development.

Dan made a habit of extending that level of passion and enthusiasm beyond the walls of Airo and into the surrounding community.

“Dan was one of the first people I met when I became president of the area chamber of commerce – and he’s always been one who just makes things happen,” said David Martin, president, Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Community Chamber of Commerce. “He’s always there, helping improve quality of life and working to create opportunity.

“He has a passion for local workforce development,” Martin explained. “Dan went as far as to help coordinate partnerships between local manufacturers and schools. His thought was, if there are kids who aren’t going to four-year universities, we want to make sure they have a trade coming out of high school. These kids could stay local, work local and make careers for themselves.”

That’s the level of commitment Dan used to blaze a trail of success.

“Dan continually reinvented the mindset of his team and the community around him to deliver success,” said Rod Taylor, COO, Pace. “He has a way of finding new thinking to drive results. He’s always learning and that serves as a great reminder to all of us.”

As Dan transitions into his new role as consultant to Pace leadership on special projects – and eventually into retirement – he’ll be doing more fishing, golfing, and spending quality time with family. And, he’ll be the first to tell you, it’s time to ramp up the number of outings with his hunting buddy, his grandson.

Thank you for a job well done, Dan, and enjoy this time of transition. You’ve earned it.