MARCH 15, 2024; Guelph, Ontario – Linamar Corporation’s (TSX:LNR) Skyjack division is proud to announce the recently retired Skyjack President, Ken McDougall, has been presented with the IAPA and Access International Lifetime Achievement Award at the IPAF Summit/IAPAs in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A veteran of the access industry, Ken McDougall first hit the scene in 2004 when Skyjack’s then parent company, appointed him as President of Skyjack. He began his career there in 1987 as a tool designer and worked his way up the company with roles including Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Manager, Vice President of Operations, Director of Asia Pacific Division, and then President of Skyjack.

At a time when many access manufacturers were in crisis, he oversaw the transition of Skyjack from a newly acquired and struggling company to a growing and profitable division of Linamar, as the parent company is known today. He guided Skyjack through the monetary crisis of 2007/8 and spearheaded the acquisition of two telehandler brands, transforming Skyjack into a MEWP and material handling manufacturer. Having taken another senior position at Linamar, he returned to Skyjack as President in 2019 and oversaw the introduction of two vertical mast and DC scissor electric drive lines. Most recently, he led a major shift in production footprint, that will see a 235% increase in global capacity from two facilities in Canada to five: in Canada, Mexico, China and Hungary. All this activity during the pandemic also saw Skyjack’s Guelph facility transformed into a community vaccination clinic delivering over 56,000 Covid-19 vaccines.

In addition to encouraging Skyjack to embrace corporate social responsibility, Ken has championed several causes. He has supported Pevs Protects, a charity benefitting the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Has been involved with the Guelph Wish Fund for Children, where he ended as Chair, initiating a fund-raising campaign that has raised more than $1 million to date. And lastly, Ken supports a personal cause, McFadden’s Movement, created by Garrett McFadden, a professional Hockey Player, that strives to change, help, and develop mental health among athletes, starting at the grass roots level.

Congratulations, Ken, on a successful career and being presented the IAPA and Access International Lifetime Achievement Award.

Photo credit: 3HMedia