These days, Na Xiong is an expert Process Engineer at Kawasaki Robotics. But if we rewind to his childhood, we would see a curious and bright young man who couldn’t help but take things apart to figure out how they worked.
“I was the youngest in the family, but I always had an answer for everything,” he said. “Early on, I knew I wanted to have an engineering career. The Kawasaki name has been well known for a long time all over the world, so being part of the company now is a dream come true for me.”
He was recruited from college straight to Kawasaki Robotics, and just celebrated his 25th anniversary at the company. We marked the occasion with a sit-down on his history here and what still gets him excited about the job.
Starting out and growing quickly
Na began his Kawasaki story as an Application Engineer, learning the industrial robotics ropes and growing his expertise by the day. In 2008, just before his 10-year anniversary, he opted in on Kawasaki’s continuing education program to get his masters in mechanical engineering degree.
He progressed to a Project Engineer soon after, and today, Na dedicates himself to integrator partners while also finding the ideal robotics systems for new customers.
“I build processes from start to finish and pass the vision along to customers so they can easily visualize how their project will become a reality,” he said.
The best part of the job
To this day, that daily work is still Na’s favorite part of being a Process Engineer. “Applying my education, knowledge and skills to come up with a unique solution that customers will accept, that’s my favorite part,” he said. “The jobs are different every time, and if they come to me, that often means the time frame is fairly short. Working quickly to find an optimal answer is still exciting after all this time.”
The special aspects of Kawasaki Robotics
We asked Na what has made him so certain about staying with the company for a quarter century, and he responded with a couple reasons, both philosophical and personal.
“As a company, I respect Kawasaki’s commitment to always pursue higher technology. Not all companies are willing to invest in true continuous improvement. I really value that, and it’s why I’m so excited about the future.”
“On top of that, I’ve loved working with individuals that all have different backgrounds. We’re a diverse group at Kawasaki Robotics, and it’s wonderful to see how we all come together for the same goals and solutions. It’s something I didn’t anticipate when I started here.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
What you’re doing when you’re not working: I’m probably outdoors. Camping, hunting, hiking and skiing with my family.
Best place you’ve traveled to: So far? Hawaii. The mountain hikes there were spectacular.
Place you’re traveling to next: I’m headed to Europe this July and will spend a lot of time there. Paris, Norway, and many places in between.
Food: Thai. Eggplant is my #1.
Favorite childhood toy: My soccer ball. I played soccer throughout high school and during part of college.
Secret talent: I’m multilingual. I can speak Hmong,Thai, English, Lao.
