Shawnee, KS – Automation is often imagined as robots and machines working independently, with no humans in sight. However, at C&R Manufacturing, automation is most valuable when the lights are on and the employees are fully engaged.

Ron Wosel, along with his adult children Andrea and Brian, has long emphasized using automation to empower employees rather than replace them. While C&R does occasionally run machines overnight, this “lights-out” production is a side benefit. The main advantage comes from leveraging automation to help employees manage several jobs effectively at once.

This approach has shaped the way C&R hires, trains, and incentivizes its team. With only 18 employees, the company relies on skilled individuals who are trained to set up, program, and monitor multiple machines at once. Each employee acts as their own cell manager, finding ways to improve efficiency while maintaining quality.

To support this model, C&R has implemented a pay system that combines a base wage with performance-based bonuses tied to production. Employees are rewarded for keeping multiple jobs running simultaneously and for producing parts correctly the first time. This system motivates staff to fully utilize automation tools, from five-axis machining centers to pallet-pool horizontals and live-tool lathes, helping the team stay efficient and maintain consistent quality. It also means C&R can deliver reliable parts on time, showing how its people-first automation really works.

At C&R, automation is designed to support employees, not replace them. By creating systems that reward productive work and enable staff to manage multiple jobs at once, the shop gets the most out of both its people and its machines.

Looking to the future, C&R plans to continue expanding automation capabilities, including potential robotic integration with five-axis vertical machines. This next step gives employees even more freedom to manage multiple tasks and continue driving efficiency across the shop.

By combining smart automation with employee-focused incentives, C&R shows how empowered people and automated technology can work together to achieve exceptional results every time.