Meet Ky Bailey, a Senior Controls Engineer based out of the Jackson, TN, office. Ky demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence and sets an outstanding example for others to follow. Over the last six years, he’s become a key contributor to our success with one of our largest food and beverage clients. Ky’s unwavering faith, devotion to his family, and leadership by example shine through in so many ways — it’s an honor to have him on our team. Read our latest Employee Spotlight interview below to learn more.
How long have you been with LSI?
I joined LSI at the beginning of 2017, so this year is six years.
Describe your current role and experience at LSI.
I am a senior controls engineer stationed at one of our largest food and beverage clients in Jackson, TN. I lead a team of about 8-10 full-time LSI employees onsite as an embedded ESP (Engineering Service Provider) for the client. We handle electrical design, implementation, configuration, integration, commissioning, and ongoing support for both plant and capital projects within the facility.
I started at LSI working on projects at a Paper Mill, then shifted to sand mining greenfield site start-ups and automotive safety consulting, and then moved into food and beverage manufacturing, where I have been ever since.
Where did you go to college?
Union University, Jackson, TN – graduated in 2013.
What industries have you been involved in?
Food and Beverage, Automotive, Sand Refining, Pulp and Paper, Wire and Cable, Solid and Engineered Flooring manufacturing.
Tell us about a project success story that you are proud of.
I was given the opportunity during 2019 to attend Functional Safety Professional training in Texas at Siemens. After attending and passing the tests, I achieved my Functional Safety Professional certificate for Machinery as a part of ISO 13849-1/2 and IEC 62061. This training provided an opportunity for me to get involved with one of our automotive customers, doing safety analysis. Ultimately, this became a stepping stone for the Jackson office to acquire the rest of this automotive customer’s safety analysis requests and machine safety upgrade projects for their North American facilities.
What do you think is unique about LSI?
One thing unique about LSI is the charity week provided to all LSI employees. Every year, five paid time off (PTO) days are given to each LSI employee so they can dedicate their time to charity. I was able to travel to Sierra Leone in 2020 to support an orphanage and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I plan to go to Romania at the end of October 2023 to help a church startup host an English-speaking camp. These PTO days show that LSI cares about the employees’ ambitions outside of the day-to-day work at the office.
How have you grown professionally since joining LSI?
During my time at LSI, I have grown technically as well as relationally. One of my favorite things to see is the completion of a project. Not just for the project closure but for the satisfaction of the people working on it to see their hard work accomplished and the feeling of achievement that comes with that. Lucky for us, LSI has a track record of successful projects – so it’s a reoccurring feeling.
What advice do you have for aspiring engineers?
Some advice given to me during my last year at Union University with Dr. Van has stuck with me and has led me out of jams on several occasions.
“Always have a contingency plan.”
~Dr. Van
What is your favorite vacation spot?
My family and I travel to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, every year (Shark Bite Capital of the World).
Do you have any hobbies or random facts about yourself that you could share with us?
I have been married for ten years to my wife, Rebecca. We have three small children: Calvin is 6, and the twins, Georgia and Cooper, are 4. When not playing with the kids, I enjoy woodworking, playing RPG games, hunting, and Jiu Jitsu.