NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA – Animax Designs recently hired Steve Andersen, P.E. to the position of Vice President, Operations. Andersen brings almost 30 years of experience in operations management, product development, manufacturing, R&D and innovation to the rapidly growing animatronic character company.
With a Master of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Delaware, Andersen began his career as a composites Engineer at Anholt Technologies and later Kenetech Windpower where he designed and built composite components and structures for commercial, medical, aerospace and alternative energy applications. As his career continued to grow in the composite material industry, Andersen joined the University of Delaware, Center for Composite Materials as the Assistant Director, Military Programs as part of the leadership team of this world class research center. Most recently, as the Director of Product Engineering and Development at Kimber Manufacturing, he oversaw the R&D and engineering department with a goal of leading the industry in talent, capabilities, and output of new, innovative products to support rapid and aggressive growth with world class solutions.
It is with these same goals in mind that Andersen joins Animax Designs which has grown from 35 to over 130 employees and has moved from a 22,000 sf to an 80,000 sf, state-of-the-art facility in just the last 3 years. With his leadership, Animax will continue to lead the industry in talent, capabilities, and output of new, innovative “characters in motion” as they continue their growth and technologically advanced design of world class animatronic characters.
“I am excited to join Animax and be a part of this amazing and diverse team of talented professionals. Our unique combination of dedicated and passionate ‘human capital’ in the areas of art, engineering and fabrication provides a foundation that is unmatched in our field.”
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CEO Chuck Fawcett is excited to have Steve join Animax in this role and at this important time in the company’s growth. “As we have rapidly evolved from a much smaller puppet focused shop to a highly sophisticated, industry leading animatronic and interactive character company, Steve is poised to inject a more advanced approach to our operations. As we continue to grow and build more and more complex solutions for our clients, our project workflow and management of the operations has to evolve as well.”
Fawcett has charged Andersen with overseeing all of Animax’s operations across the entire firm, ensuring that client objectives are met, and that operational solutions and innovation continue to drive future success. Other responsibilities include revamping the approach to project management and facilitating greater integration between creative design with mechanical/electrical/controls design and engineering to ensure efficient design-through-production workflow.
“Building on an incredible existing foundation, I am looking forward to developing our operational practices and systems to improve efficiency, foster cross-functional collaboration, and maintain our high standards of product quality. I am honored to help in leading the Animax team to a bright future. Keep your eyes open for spectacular things to come!”
For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Jay Rottinghaus at j.rottinghaus@animaxdesigns.com or (513) 479-7280.
ABOUT ANIMAX DESIGNS
Animax Designs, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, creates animatronic and interactive characters, animated costumes, and puppets utilizing leading-edge technology and superior craftsmanship. With over 130 highly-skilled employees, Animax serves some of the largest operators in the world in the themed entertainment, live attractions, location-based entertainment, commercial, film, and television industries. For more information, visit www.animaxdesigns.com.
