Peterson Manufacturing, global provider of vehicle safety lighting technology and related equipment, has announced that Cory Adams has been named as vice president of engineering. He also was elected as the newest member of Peterson’s board of directors.
Adams heads Peterson’s 15-member engineering team consisting of electrical, mechanical and optics specialists. In addition to managing the department, he helps guide the design and development of all Peterson Manufacturing catalog items as well as custom OEM products.
A native of Kansas and a 2003 graduate of Pittsburg State University, Adams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, with an emphasis on plastics design and manufacturing.
Coming out of college, Adams hired on as a process engineer for a family-owned firm near Kansas City that designs and manufactures a wide range of plumbing products, parts and accessories. He quickly rose to management positions, gaining valuable experience in tool & die design and leading a team of design engineers.
In April of 2012, Adams accepted Peterson’s offer to join its engineering team in Grandview, Missouri. His early role dealt primarily with Harley-Davidson motorcycle products. In 2014, Adams was named engineering manager, and rose to director of engineering in 2017, a leadership role he will continue in while serving as vice president.
“My experience in actually processing plastic parts and designing the tools that make the parts helped me build a great foundation in understanding the whole dynamic of our company,” Adams said. “We have an excellent engineering team here, we mesh really well. Lots of collaboration and team effort. We’re never hurting for new ideas to bring to the market, and we’re pushing projects out as fast as we can.”
Adams credits Peterson’s family owned values and willingness to invest in the technology and people needed to be successful. “We’re always looking for ways to make things better, faster, smarter,” he said, “And our owners are always willing to give us the best tools available.”
