TROY – Tom Kelly, the new executive director of Automation Alley, is developing a new strategy to make the technology business association an expert on what he calls Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution fueled by dramatic changes in the digital world transforming manufacturing – still Michigan’s biggest business sector.

“My job is to build on the successes of the past. I have a strategy to do that,” Kelly told MITechNews.Com Editor Mike Brennan. “It’s what the industry calls Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution. Automation Alley’s history has been related to technology and manufacturing. Now we will try to bridge this gap between technology and manufacturing.”

Kelly on Thursday officially become the second executive director at Automation Alley, replacing Ken Rogers who celebrated on Wednesday night his retirement – along with a few hundred friends, staff and former staff members at the Iroquois Club in Bloomfield Hills.

Rogers, who announced his plans to retire in June, served as Automation Alley’s executive director for 17 years. Kelly, who previously held the position of COO, will oversee strategic planning, all financial and personnel matters and ongoing activities of Automation Alley on behalf of its nearly 1,000 member organizations across Southeast Michigan. Kelly reports to the Automation Alley Board of Directors, which on Thursday approved his appointment.

“We are very pleased to welcome Tom Kelly in his new role as Automation Alley’s executive director and are excited for the future of the organization under his leadership,” said David Hay, president of the Automation Alley Board of Directors and vice president, Kelly Services Office of the Executive Chairman. “Tom is uniquely qualified for this position. He has an enthusiasm and passion for helping companies in this region grow and prosper. As Automation Alley COO, Tom added great value to the organization. Tom is the ideal successor to Ken Rogers and will build on Ken’s legacy of success at Automation Alley.”

Kelly wants to transform Automation Alley into THE experts on Industry 4.0, which he defined as a collection of technologies, including 3D Printing, Virtual Reality, Simulation, Autonomous Robots and how the Internet connects manufacturing to all these digital assets. 

“It will be one of the most transformative events in manufacturing in the last 100 years,” Kelly said. “Automation Alley’s mission will be to understand what happens with Industry 4.0. How small to medium manufacturers and technology companies in Southeast Michigan can understand what will happen and how they can keep up with the pace of change.”

Kelly said very large industrial manufacturers have the people to help get through the fourth industrial revolution. They can hire consultants to tell them how to navigate these technologies. And if you did it wrong, he said, they have the capital to go buy somebody who did it right. Small and medium manufacturers don’t have the ability to just place bets. They can’t guess wrong. They need great knowledge and insights. He said Automation Alley needs to be that resource.

“It’s what Automation Alley has been destined to do,” he said. “We have this revolution coming, and Automation Alley needs to be at the center of that revolution to create that knowledge. How we create that knowledge is through the member base. We can build the committees to develop this deep knowledge and create a bridge between our technology companies and our manufacturers.  Once we do, we can figure out how the connections will occur.”

The benefits of this deep understanding of the fourth industrial revolution also will benefit National Defense. TACOM and TARDEC, the U.S. Army’s logistical and R&D arms, both based in Warren, describe Industry 4.0 as the digital thread. Kelly said the Army has the same Industry 4.0 knowledge needs as everyone has in manufacturing. He expects the Army to become a major contributor to Automation Alley’s knowledge base.

Another transformation, Kelly wants, is to make Automation Alley more millennial friendly. Millennials are the people born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. The oldest are now in their mid 30s, and moving into middle management or starting their own businesses.

“Tech is changing so rapidly and the tech workforce of the future is the millennial,” he said. “We need to make Automation Alley a friendly place for millennials.”

Kelly was hired by Automation Alley in April 2014 and spearheaded efforts to launch the association’s successful 7Cs program for advanced manufacturing entrepreneurs seeking accelerated commercialization. The program guides entrepreneurs through a customized seven-step process that includes intense coaching and a firm commitment from Automation Alley to invest resources and capital. As COO, Kelly oversaw Automation Alley’s $9.09 million venture capital investment fund, which is currently invested in 58 high-tech companies.

Kelly came to Automation Alley after seven years as a technology business consultant for the state of Michigan’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), where he actively coached more than 300 technology startups in industries such as advanced automotive, life sciences, homeland security and alternative energy. His support helped client companies through all facets of their early life, including visioning, strategic planning, sales and marketing, finance and operational execution.

Kelly’s professional successes also include launching three separate startup companies for angel, VC, and corporate investors in the fields of software, manufacturing technology and distribution. He has created and executed marketing campaigns for both low-volume, high-dollar and high-volume, low-dollar software titles at three separate companies, resulting in rapid growth and five major software awards, including the 2003 National Manufacturing Design and Engineering Award and the 2005 Start Magazine Technology and Business Innovation of the Year Award.

Kelly has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Clarkson University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan.

For more on Automation Alley, click on www.automationalley

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