Leadership
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Registered Professional Engineer – Illinois
Member-ASME A17.1 Standards Committee
Member-ASME A18.1 Standards Committee (Lifts)
Member-Several ASME A17.1 Working Committees
Member of ICC/ANSI A117 Accessibility Committee
Member-Several NFPA Technical committees
Author-ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Handbook
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Kevin L. Brinkman,
President
Contact Us:
Available for consulations. Please call to schedule an appointment.
‹TEL:
309-208-0812
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‹MAIL:
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Kevin L. Brinkman is an independent consultant with 40 years of experience in engineering and over 30 years in the accessibility and elevator industry. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and many years of hands-on experience on both technical and business matters.
Mr. Brinkman’s experience began in junior high school working with his father in his auto repair business, and continued with work for a diesel engine re-manufacturing company and a leading aero-space firm before graduating from college. After graduation from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Kevin began his career with Caterpillar, Inc. In 8 years with the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, Kevin worked as a Design Engineer, Test Engineer and Senior Test Engineer. Since then, Kevin has served in various positions for both Thyssenkrupp Access Manufacturing and The National Wheel-O-Vator Company, including Vice-President of Engineering.
In 1990, Mr. Brinkman took on responsibilities as a manager with The National Wheel-O-Vator Co., Inc. In this time he was tasked with the launch of a new production facility, which included; equipment procurement, hiring and training of new employees, establishing customer service ordering processes, management of the production and purchasing teams, as well as assisting in product development and on-going support.
Beginning in 2000, Kevin became Vice-President of Engineering for National Wheel-O-Vator. In this new role, he oversaw all new product development and product updates for the company. Other responsibilities included oversight of compliance with all applicable safety codes and standards as well as product quality aspects and FDA compliance. In addition to the prior listed duties, Mr. Brinkman provided technical support for customers and managed the customer service and sales teams.
National Wheel-O-Vator was purchased by ThyssenKrupp Access in 2008, at which point, Kevin moved to the role of Vice-President of Operations. He was responsible for oversight of all plant operations at the Roanoke, IL facility. This included daily supervision of 100+ employees in a production environment (fabrication, welding, powder coating and assembly). During this time, Kevin was able to improve overall plant efficiency by 30%.
In 2011, Kevin transitioned into the position of Vice President of Engineering and Quality. Once again, his duties centered on product development and product updates. This also included complying with safety codes and standards of the industry. Kevin spearheaded the implementation of a new Quality Management System, which was based on ISO format, to comply with FDA regulations, as the lifts were classified as medical devices. Also during this time, Kevin served as Chairman of ASME Committee for Private Residence Elevator Safety Standard and was an active member of the ASME Standards Committees for LU/LA Elevator and Lift Safety Standards.
After leaving ThyssenKrupp in 2013, Kevin established Kevin L. Brinkman & Associates, a consultancy firm dedicated to assisting companies and enterprises in need of the engineering and accessibility expertise of Brinkman & Associates, but who may not be in the position to hire an individual full-time or who may only need assistance on specific projects. He has worked with several clients from manufacturers to installers to building owners. Services include providing training, reviewing product designs, conducting accident investigations, serving as an expert witness in product litigation, new product design, and site evaluations. Kevin’s experience, training and work history make him an ideal candidate for litigation support, engineering, manufacturing, accessibility equipment and production, engineering services, product liability, quality control, and patents.
Mr. Brinkman continues to spend a significant amount of time working with various codes and standards development groups. He is currently chairing two standards development committees. He has become one of the leading experts on safety and accessibility codes for small elevators and lifts and has provided training to industry members at numerous conventions and meetings.
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