From a welding class taken to build a trailer hitch to forging Idaho’s future, Rob Roberts founded R&M Steel Company in 1969 after relocating from Pennsylvania, transforming a simple passion into a globally recognized enterprise. The company relocated to an 80-acre Caldwell site in 2000 and employs 62 people, manufacturing custom pre-engineered metal building systems shipped worldwide.

Roberts’ wife Nancy describes him as a perfectionist who manufactures the highest quality buildings, earning customer loyalty through products that never fail. Operating debt-free since inception, the company has never borrowed a single dollar, demonstrating Roberts’ conservative business principles.

Beyond commercial success, Roberts has earned recognition as Idaho’s “Friend of Education.” Together with Nancy, he has designed and donated 33 steel structures to schools throughout Idaho and eastern Oregon, specializing in career-technical education facilities.

As the company marks 50 years in business, agriculture and aviation remain leading revenue contributors, with Roberts continuing to guide the enterprise he built from the ground up.

Building circuits and opportunity in equal measure, Kris Townsend co-founded Silicon Mountain Contract Services in 2002 with his father Wayne Townsend, establishing a family-owned electronics manufacturing powerhouse in Idaho’s underutilized Pacific Northwest market.

After working together for six years at a large EMS provider in Austin, Texas, the father-son team launched Silicon Mountain when their former company was acquired.

Since opening in 2002, Silicon Mountain employs 50 to 99 people and specializes in printed circuit board assembly, serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The company leverages more than 50 years of combined engineering and manufacturing expertise, offering customized solutions from product development through full-scale production.

Under Townsend’s leadership, Silicon Mountain earned the 2023 GLOBAL Technology Award in the Contract Manufacturers $15-50 Million category, recognizing the company’s innovative spirit and manufacturing excellence. Townsend is currently pursuing ITAR registration to expand capabilities in defense and aerospace sectors, demonstrating his commitment to positioning Silicon Mountain for strategic growth while maintaining the company’s ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Zane Everman has operated Les Bois Milling for one and a half years, transforming urban forestry waste into usable lumber from his Boise facility. He was able to open the business while saving 54,570 pounds of carbon from entering the local ecosystem by repurposing trees at the end of their lifecycle.

“The uphill battle of starting a business is steep,” he said. “From funding, finding space, making that space fit your business, acquiring tools and equipment, website development, getting your business seen, the list is endless.”

He holds an associate degree and brings 25 years of construction experience to the urban forestry industry. His biggest challenge is educating the public about wood quality differences, emphasizing that he produces stable, bug-free, sterilized kiln-dried lumber.

Everman entered the field through construction work building unique furniture and bars, recognizing the difficulty of sourcing quality wood. His business transforms tree removal situations into positive outcomes, creating products that can last generations while keeping carbon out of landfills.

Marya Woods is co-founder and CEO of Apex Manufacturing Solutions, where her primary role is to manage and oversee all company operations.  

In the past few years, Woods stated Apex has made the significant accomplishment of investing “heavily” in interns with the company. 

“We were able to attract several students from [Boise State University] to join our team (in both technical and admin roles),” she said. “Several of those have transitioned to full-time employment. It is so cool to see these young adults growing into the professional world and bringing new energy/ideas to the organization.” 

In the coming year, Woods seeks to better herself by being more curious and asking more questions. That goal goes back to the success of her company, she said, by having a commitment to learning.  

“We encouraged everyone to consume at least 80 hours of learning each year,” she said. “With the pace of technology evolving and our diverse customer base, there is always something more to learn.” 

Woods earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Idaho, though she wasn’t sure what life held for her.  

“I wasn’t sure where I would end up,” she explained. “A small company took a chance on a new grad, and it turned out that I really liked the space. After a handful of years, I took a chance on starting a business from scratch and have enjoyed learning how to make it a success.” 

From that time forward, she is proud of the work her company has done. 

“I am proud to say that Apex has enabled many Idaho companies to deliver on their brand promise,” Wood said. “From potato chips to microchips, from energy bars to energy farms, from wastewater to bottled water ― our team was there to integrate the various systems to run smoothly, efficiently and reliably.” 

Sheri Johnson founded the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance (originally Southwest Idaho Manufacturers’ Alliance) in 2014 and served as executive director from 2014 to 2024.

The organization was established in fall 2013 through efforts of local manufacturing executives and economic development representatives, with official memberships beginning in December 2014, transitioning to IMA in 2021 to increase industry impact throughout the state of Idaho.

Johnson earned her degree from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Prior to IMA, she owned and operated Johnson Thermal Systems from 2004 to 2016 and has worked as a Realtor since 2000, along with contract and consulting work in marketing, sales and business startup.

Johnson led initiatives like the “Coolest Thing Made in Idaho” contest to showcase Idaho’s manufacturers and innovative spirit. Under her leadership, IMA grew to unite more than 200 members, representing Idaho’s 2,200 manufacturers and a $21.5 billion industry.

Brian Olsen serves as executive vice president and president of Visibility Solutions for Clarience Technologies. He joined ECCO Safety Group (ESG) in 2009 as vice president of global operations and was elevated to president of ECCO Safety Systems in 2021 following the company’s acquisition by Clarience Technologies.

From 2023 to 2025, he served as president of Safety Solutions, overseeing safety lighting and audible warning system technologies.

Olsen earned a B.S. in manufacturing engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Auburn University. Prior to ESG, he held senior positions with Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturers and Electronic Manufacturing Services.

His combined experience in both automotive and electronics markets provides a unique perspective in sourcing, manufacturing and distributing ESG products globally. His focus on coordinating supply chain, manufacturing, logistics and quality operations spans ESG facilities around the globe, establishing him as a leader in vehicle safety technology and global operations management.

Shaun Fickes has led Greyloch for 34 years as founder of the cabinet manufacturing company, operating specialized facilities in Meridian and Star focusing on paint, stain and panel operations. His most significant recent accomplishment was launching an automated production line in Star, positioning the company as one of North America’s most modern Batch Size One factories.

The company creates high-quality jobs while providing local sourcing options for Idaho builders who previously couldn’t source adequate cabinetry locally.

“In many respects, the American cabinetry industry has lagged behind global standards in automation ― and I set out to change that,” Fickes said.

His formal training was limited to industrial arts at Meridian Junior High School and woodshop at Meridian High School, with skills developed through self-teaching and continuous learning. Through extensive research and global facility visits, he studied best practices and selected cutting-edge machinery.

His biggest challenge was modernizing manufacturing to make it attractive for future generations. His goals include refining processes and staff education while designing the next factory.