Joe Block: Building Engineering Excellence Through People and Purpose

Since its founding in 1973, Solidify has grown through multiple phases of expansion and technological change. Joe Block believes this journey has shaped his leadership philosophy. He emphasizes that strong relationships are essential to effective engineering teams and often reminds his team that the time they spend together makes trust and support foundational. At Solidify, he quickly saw that collaboration must extend across departments, creating alignment and a shared sense of purpose. The eighty-twenty rule also guides his decisions, helping him prioritize work that delivers the greatest impact.

Solidify’s mission to enhance efficiency, quality and consistent delivery is reflected directly in Joe’s engineering approach. Real-time monitoring is central to this effort, giving teams immediate visibility into production issues and long-term trends that drive continuous improvement. Joe also stresses the value of upfront preparation. By thoroughly reviewing designs and workflows before implementation, the team reduces risk, sets clear expectations and ensures organizational alignment. This discipline is especially important during busy periods such as new product launches or facility expansions.

Among his accomplishments, Joe particularly enjoyed leading the implementation of Solidify’s process monitoring software. It was one of the first major initiatives he managed after joining the organization, and its success transformed how the company operates. The effort required extensive cross-functional coordination and a clear commitment to defining how the system would support long-term organizational needs. Once established, the system delivered real-time production visibility and laid the foundation for ongoing improvements. The company continues to build upon this platform, which Joe considers a cornerstone of Solidify’s roadmap for collaboration and continuous improvement.

Supporting domestic onshoring and delivering predictable lead times requires thoughtful engineering decisions and building confidence with customers. Joe emphasizes upfront alignment, clear communication, and risk assessment as fundamental practices. Engineering must anticipate operational impact and maintain the stability needed to support fast turnaround times and domestic manufacturing expectations.

Joe ensures engineering performance is measured through clear, business-focused metrics. His team tracks project delivery, efficiency, uptime, defect and scrap levels, continuous improvement results and financial impact. Priorities shift during heavy launch cycles, yet consistent visibility on these indicators keeps decisions aligned with organizational goals.

He also places strong emphasis on talent and sustainability. Structured training programs, targeted skill development and support for technical education help the team stay ahead of evolving molding and automation technologies. At the same time, engineering drives sustainability and cost reduction by reducing scrap, qualifying recycled materials, using regrind and optimizing equipment for greater energy efficiency, strengthening both environmental and operational performance.

When approaching design for manufacturing, Joe follows a simple philosophy. Teams must invest time early or pay the price later through cost increases and schedule disruptions. His structured DFM approach includes clear checkpoints, communication with suppliers and early risk identification. The engineering team compares new designs to similar products, evaluates standards, assesses assembly ease and seeks opportunities to simplify components. Supplier collaboration ensures feasibility and material availability while process compatibility prevents costly redesigns.

Data increasingly shapes engineering strategy at Solidify. With integrated sensors, automated inspection and upgraded equipment, the team now evaluates production performance with greater accuracy. Real-time alerts delivered through voice communication systems allow immediate action and reduce reliance on traditional alarms. Automated data collection improves job tracking, scrap measurement, and completion rates while freeing staff to focus on skill development.

Risk evaluation for new processes or equipment begins with understanding how changes will influence production quality and delivery. Joe involves cross-functional teams early and uses pilot runs, test criteria, contingency planning and phased implementation to prevent disruption. Continuous monitoring of KPIs during early production enables rapid corrective action.

Joe is also watching emerging trends such as collaborative robots, automated packaging and autonomous material movement. These technologies will shape the next phase of efficiency improvement. To prepare the workforce the company invests in industry training and hires talent with relevant expertise. Smaller continuous improvement projects provide hands-on exposure and build confidence for future adoption.

Customer engagement is another area where Joe has established clear practices and places strong emphasis. Each customer is assigned a primary engineering contact, ensuring direct access to technical support. Early involvement and consistent communication form the foundation for successful launches. Regular discussions around capital requirements, material selection, packaging costs, and quality expectations help maintain alignment. As products move into qualification and production, clearly defined relationships among buyers, planners, sales, and engineering ensure seamless handoffs and stable, long-term partnerships.

Finally, engineering plays a central role in supply chain resilience. Joe encourages customers to qualify multiple materials and maintain flexible specifications that support alternate sourcing. These strategies have helped several customers navigate material shortages without disrupting supply.

Alignment across engineering production and the business begins with the development of a strong business case. When financial and operational impacts are clear, the company can move forward with confidence. Continuous engagement and updated expectations throughout the project life cycle ensure that Solidify delivers successful launches and maintains its reputation for reliability.