For a Gentex mirror to make it out the door, critical resources must be in constant supply on the production floor. Compressed air, purified water, and nitrogen gas power equipment and support the processes that keep manufacturing moving.
Behind the scenes, John Bilsky, Facilities Specialist, ensures these essential resources meet quality standards across all Gentex facilities. For the past 22 years, he has played a key role in keeping operations running smoothly supporting the systems that make production possible every day.
Over the course of two decades at Gentex, John has built a range of credentials in the field. He has earned multiple certifications in water and compressed air management. Innovations he pioneered and his experience in the field have also been featured in publications and at conferences, from trade magazines to university innovation forums.
John brought a unique set of skills with him when he joined the company. He had spent several years working with reverse-osmosis (RO) water purification systems at his former employer. At Gentex, he was tasked with maintaining and improving the process, which purifies water by splitting it into a waste and clean stream using high-tech membranes, to help ensure uptime and product quality.
“Moving to Gentex, I wanted to expand my water treatment knowledge to cover all our water treatment processes, so I continued educating myself,” he said.
His commitment to reliable, standardized systems brought him responsibility over Gentex’s compressed air systems soon after that.
“At the time, we were growing so fast that we were buying 100-horsepower air compressors and still running out of capacity,” he said.
The traditional compressors used oil, which required filtering the compressed air before it reached the machinery. As the Connector building between State and 58 Riley was built, John again researched and implemented improvements to the system.
New, massive oil-free compressors now pressurize clean air through stainless tubes to the production floor across buildings, ensuring maximum uptime on production lines.
Alongside, John led development on a one-of-a-kind RO water reuse system, as well as a unique sanitation system for the clean water lines. Both of his concepts were implemented in the new building’s systems. The water reuse process cuts the amount of wastewater created during treatment in half – a unique system that no other manufacturer operates. The result is not only a reduction in water waste, but a significant cost savings in production as well.
The new ideas behind the RO water reuse system earned him a finalist recognition at the 2019 Lakeshore Innovator of the Year awards. The program at Grand Valley State University’s Muskegon Innovation Hub celebrates individuals and organizations who demonstrate innovation, impact, and creativity in the Lakeshore region of West Michigan.
For John, being able to improve and build cutting-edge technology in his field at the company is one of the best parts of his career at Gentex.
“The commitment to innovation and continual improvement here makes Gentex unique,” he said.
“Having a Facilities team of professionals who prioritize meeting all the needs of production, and the tremendous support I get from our management staff – that’s what keeps me here,” he continued.
John's commitment to improvement doesn’t stop with the innovations he brings to the water, compressed air, and nitrogen systems. He sees his work as an opportunity to keep growing and learning.
“At Gentex, I continued my education about water purification – I’m now a Certified Master Water Specialist,” he said.
“When I was given the responsibility over all the compressed air systems, I wanted to understand all that I could, as well,” he said. His deep dive into compressed air systems led to an additional Compressed Air Systems Specialist certification.
“I wanted to understand all I could so I could make the right decisions that would benefit Gentex the most,” he said.
John's journey of continuous improvement at Gentex also reaches outside the company. He shares his expertise with others in the trade at various conferences and in publications, as well as in the community.
Recently, he even presented the RO reuse system as part of Hope College’s World Water Day conference.
“In my career, I have had to challenge myself,” John said.
“To become the best that I could be in my professions, I had to find opportunities for education. There’s always something to learn in the field.”
For those eager to learn and explore, he recommends considering a career at Gentex. “The company is committed to excellence, integrity, and quality,” he said. “Join the team and challenge yourself, too!”
