Jason Cox
President
Cox Machine
Wichita, KS USA
“You don’t have to work yourself out of an industry—you just have to know where it’s going.”
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By Roadtrip NationJason Cox
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I’ve always been very interested in the mechanics of things—I would take my toys apart as a kid and also spent a lot of time watching my grandfather work on antique motorcycles.
In high school, I worked at an autoshop and was part of the drafting program in school.
I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University.
After graduating, I started my career as a design engineer for Cessna Aircraft Company.
I spent three years with Cessna before joining my family’s aerospace business, Cox Machine.
I started at Cox Machine as a production manager and then transitioned to chief technical officer.
I took over as president of Cox Machine in 2016.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
President
I oversee the operations and strategic direction of an aerospace company.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Business
Building Things
Day to Day
My main responsibilities as president are to connect with our customers and set the strategic direction of the company. I spend two to three days every two weeks traveling to the places our parts are used and talking to the people using them. I meet with the strategic decision-makers for the companies that we build parts for to make sure we all have the same goal. My days are filled with a lot of meetings with the main goal of establishing what the company's doing and where the company is going.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Start working on your business acumen sooner rather than later. Find trade publications online for the industry that you're interested in and use them to keep a finger on what's happening in relevant businesses. I also recommend taking any chance you get to attend an industry conference, whether that be virtual or in-person. Even as a college student, the better you understand the industry, the more prepared you'll be to find the most valuable courses for your journey.
