results driven

“I would love our customers to know how passionate we are about making the best refrigerator possible,” says Kari Stec, a Lead Design Engineer in New Product Development at Sub-Zero Group, Inc. “We are always brainstorming customer needs and requirements,” adds Stec. “The end use of the product is exactly where we start.”

Stec herself started at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove as a college student, first as a co-op participant and then as an intern. Once she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, the Green Bay native stayed at the company, eager to use her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in the same New Product Development – Design division where she began. “I loved it so much I never left!” says Stec.

The design engineer says she was always interested in math and physics, even as a child. “I wanted to learn how things work and, as I got older,” she says, “I realized a practical application of that was engineering.” Today, Stec says that this fundamental understanding of how things work benefits her when she and her team iterate design, prototype, and test products for the Sub-Zero Group.

As engineers, Stec and her colleagues have their own ideas on what they would love to improve from previous products they worked on, but she notes that other divisions at the company can be a source of great information and insight. “The marketing team surveys current and potential future customers,” says Stec, “and we have an amazing executive group that helps map out and make decisions on high-level features.” 

“The feedback from customers is key,” she says. “They are the ones using the refrigerators and freezers, and their input is invaluable to us.” Stec considers customer requirements from the very beginning of the design engineering process. “We want to understand their point of view. What do they wish a product would do? How do they need it to work in their home? We turn all of those concepts into our design.”

Because of this, field tests are some of Stec’s favorite portions of any given project. “It allows us to actually go into customers’ homes and talk with them about what they like and don’t like and see things from their perspective.” In field tests, Stec explains, the units are production-representative, built in small quantities on the production line, and installed into customer and employee homes, typically in locations with harsh environmental conditions, with the understanding they are test units and will be replaced with production units once available.

Rewarding and informative, these interactive and hands-on experiences also offer challenges for the design team. “There is some stress because the field tests usually come at the further end of the project,” says Stec.  “So, if we find something that’s not quite working, we have to jump on it and fix it immediately, sometimes creating a rapid prototype if necessary.”

The value that field tests and customer feedback provide in modifying current parts flows directly into planning for future appliances. “We have the customer’s perspective in mind throughout the entire development process,” she says, “and there’s a plethora of internal tests replicating the real-life environment of our units; we use field tests as one more verification to really ensure the performance of our units.”

Stec never really steps too far away from the engineering world as her husband, John, is also with the Sub-Zero Group, working with her in New Product Development. “We met at college and got our offers to work here around the same time,” she says. “We figured we’d see how it went, and it has proven to be a wonderful work-home situation.” 

The Stecs do find ways to “turn off their engineer brains,” however. “We absolutely love backpacking and hiking with our German Shepherd, Scout. She loves keeping everyone safe on the trail,” laughs Stec. “John and I are both interested in mechanical details, so we might spend some time inspecting how the tent has been made and the best way to set it up, but then we turn all that off and just enjoy the sunset and the natural surroundings.”

In addition to enjoying working with her spouse, Stec also appreciates the chance to discover something new every day at Sub-Zero. “Whether that’s a new manufacturing process or how to improve a design, I just love to learn, and I feel lucky that I get to design and engineer such amazing products.”  

She credits the culture of teamwork at the company. “Since I first started my co-op here, the working relationships have been phenomenal,” says Stec. “My day-to-day work is enjoyable and interesting, and I work with such a great team. The cross-functionality has been so satisfying, and I’ve made friends with everyone from design to manufacturing to marketing.” 

She reveals that everyone agrees they are all there to make what they euphemistically call the best “cold box” possible. “The best performing cold box, the longest lasting cold box, the most beautiful cold box, the most customer-satisfactory cold box,” says Stec. “That is always our goal.”