Cybertrol Employee Spotlight: Meet Brent Kantola
For our first ever employee spotlight, Cybertrol Engineering is thrilled to feature one of our long-standing team members, Brent Kantola, who currently serves as Senior Principal Automation Engineer. With an impressive tenure of 18.5 years since joining the company, Brent has played various roles and contributed significantly to our success. As a senior principal automation engineer, Brent's responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks, including project task creation, planning, mentoring, and maintaining strong customer relationships. His expertise and dedication have made him an invaluable asset to our team.
“Brent is a calm, well thought-out leader on our food and beverage automation team,” says Andy Croke, Director of Core Teams and Food and Beverage Core Team Lead at Cybertrol. “Through his depth and breadth of knowledge, Brent provides great technical leadership to others. His propensity is in gaining a deep understanding of customer systems, which provides a differential advantage in bringing unique and value-added solutions to their control system challenges.”
Since joining Cybertrol, Brent has been an integral part of our organization. He landed his position just two weeks after tying the knot and has been on an incredible journey ever since. Starting as a project engineer, he progressed through many roles such as lead engineer, principal engineer, and currently holds the title of senior principal automation engineer. The mantra of "fake it ‘til you make it" resonated with Brent during his early days, as he fearlessly took on new challenges and grew into his role. Over the years, Brent has had the privilege of working on numerous significant projects, leaving his mark on the food and beverage industry.
Brent's work routine has evolved significantly over the years. Previously, he would start his day by commuting to work for an hour, indulging in audiobooks along the way. With the added flexibility in recent years for Cybertrol employees to work remotely, he now cherishes the opportunity to help six of his eight kids get ready for school, accompanied by his energetic two-year-old. The seamless teamwork between Brent and his wife, Jenna, ensures that all eight children reach their respective drop-off points on time, with each of their unique needs attended to. Once back home and ready to dive into work, Brent is involved in programming, reviewing projects, and assisting with quotes, in between meetings. His abundance of tasks highlights the dynamic nature of his role and the constant need for efficient time management.
When asked what he appreciates most about his job at Cybertrol, Brent spoke in particular to the diversity of work. He noted that engaging with different projects and working closely with a variety of customers provides a refreshing change of pace. Brent finds fulfillment in the balance between office-based tasks and being present on customer project sites. Leading a talented team of engineers, he gives a special shout-out to his colleagues Greg Stadden and Jeff Hegle for their exceptional contributions.
Brent's journey has taken him from his hometown of Howell, Michigan, to Minnesota, where he eventually settled in Dassel, located 45 miles west of our Minneapolis office. Having graduated from Michigan Tech University with a degree in electrical engineering, Brent's educational background has laid a strong foundation for his professional career.
Outside of work, Brent has a variety of interests and hobbies. He thoroughly enjoys downhill skiing, and this past winter, he and three of his kids made the most of it with season passes at a local ski area, Powder Ridge. Brent also finds pleasure in playing pickleball and actively supporting his children's extracurricular activities. Traveling is another passion for Brent, and he eagerly embraces his wife's planning expertise for creating exciting adventures. Memorable trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, and Utah’s Zion National Park have left a lasting impact on his family. This summer, they are eagerly anticipating a camping trip to Minnesota’s North Shore with friends and a visit to Marquette, MI, accompanied by his in-laws.
Reflecting on his time at Cybertrol Engineering, Brent expresses gratitude for the company's unwavering support and belief in his potential. “Joining the organization when it had fewer than 30 employees, I’ve witnessed remarkable growth and transformation within the company,” noted Brent. “The opportunities for professional development and the chance to be part of this journey have been profoundly rewarding.” We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Brent for his dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to excellence. His contributions have significantly shaped our success, and we look forward to witnessing his continued growth and achievements at Cybertrol Engineering.
