Lance Price
Engineering manager in Fort Wayne, IN, United States
Controls Engineer | Entrepreneur | Military Vehicle Specialist
The Profile
I am a Controls Engineer by trade and a mechanical re-builder by obsession. With a BSEE and a career rooted in the heavy industries of Northeast Indiana, I specialize in the architecture of complex control systems for large-scale refineries. I don’t just design the logic; I am a "DIY of everything" practitioner who believes that true engineering happens where the metal meets the heat.
The Philosophy: Leadership from the Trenches
Beyond the schematics and the steel, I am driven by a fundamental belief: We collectively move forward, in earnest and with great expectation.
In my world, leadership isn't a title; it’s a shared burden. I used to work for many who would say they would never ask someone to do something they wouldn't do themselves—but I honestly rarely saw them lift a finger beyond their desks. I say I’ve never asked someone to do something I haven't already done myself. Wether it’s managing maintenance and engineering crews for 24/7 operations or troubleshooting a critical failure at 3:00 AM, I tackle every challenge alongside my brethren and co-workers. My expertise isn't confined to a clean office. I am a "FR-on, harness-up" engineer who is at the ready at all times. I’ve spent my career:
Managing 24/7 Operations: Leading crews through the high-pressure demands of continuous industrial production and equipment maintenance.
Leading from the field: Personally crawling through curing ovens and other equipment to verify structural integrity and hardware health. I've walked crane bridges to correct cable tracks and scaled fractionation towers to fix instrumentation. Troubleshooting 480V drives and bridging the gap between high-level PLC programming (Rockwell PlantPAx, Node-RED) and the physical reality of the plant floor.
Tactical Engineering & Innovation
When I’m not optimizing refinery systems, I am pushing the limits of tactical machinery and performance design:
Excavation:
As one of my large hobbies, I am a fully licensed CDL class A driver. I play in the dirt with my wheeled excavators. A Gradall 4100XL weighing 51,000 lbs, and a Gradall 3100XL weighing 36,000 lbs. I also own an old county dump truck. I used this hobby to create a resort out of my home, install my own geothermal, open water sources, and get myself into all sorts of trouble.
Military Vehicle Restoration: I've restored and sold several M998, M1097A1, M1097R1, M1097A2, M1123, and currently operate M1151A1 HMMWVs and MRZRs, integrating custom upgrades like PA151 hellfire missle storage containers, PLCs, custom armor, 360 degree nightvision, and motorized turret systems. All 4 of my kids have stripped and re-equiped military components with me.
Product Prototyping: Developing a custom, FDA-compliant mouthguard and the Ark Treadmill—projects born from the philosophy that if you can't find the help you need, then its on you to build something really cool yourself.
The Daily Grind
Whether I’m training for a full planche at 4:30 AM with my oldest, developing production equipment for my startup companies, or coaching 6-8U, 10-11U, and 12-14U youth hockey, I believe in optimization through discipline and the constant pursuit of moving the needle forward.