At Spring Automation, leadership is more than a title—it’s a combination of deep technical experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to adapt. Reid Foster, our Director of Controls Engineering, brings all of that and more. From early days at Spring Automation to leading multifaceted teams across departments, Reid has played an instrumental role in shaping both our internal processes and our customer-facing success.
A Journey of Growth
Reid’s journey into the material handling industry started straight out of college with a role as a control systems specialist. With travel dominating his schedule, Reid was ready for a shift and soon found himself in a new opportunity—one that would lead to the early days of Spring Automation.
Today, Reid oversees the Applications, Learning & Development, and Design Engineering teams. This cross-functional responsibility gives him a rare view into both the pre-contract and execution sides of the business. “I’m one of the few people who has visibility across the entire workflow,” Reid explains. “This perspective gives me a unique insight into our business.”
Problem Solving at the Core
Reid is energized by challenging problems, finding satisfaction in tackling them. When asked his favorite part of the job, he doesn’t hesitate: “Solving complex problems.” This passion became especially evident during a standout moment where Reid had the opportunity to be the lead engineer in Spring’s largest project at the time. “Not only did we maintain the dates with limited resources, but we went live successfully and at the time one of the highest-performing projects of its kind, outperforming many competitors.”
For Reid, leadership means leading by example, teaching, challenging the team, and knowing when to step back. “Trying to find that balance between supporting the team but not hindering their growth is the trickiest part,” he says. He finds fulfillment in watching team members rise to the occasion by solving and conquering their own challenges. In his role, he navigates constant change, particularly when it comes to evolving customer goals. “One of our biggest challenges is adapting to shifting customer requirements,” he notes. “For large customers, there may be dozens of stakeholders involved with a project. This leads to changing goals or requirements. We try to stay aligned with those as best we can but will address issues with the customer immediately if this diverges too far from reality.”
From Vision to Execution
Adaptability is a cornerstone of Spring’s engineering process—something Reid believes truly sets the team apart. “We’re more flexible in our engineering process than many competitors.” While it’s not always the most efficient path, it’s often the one that delivers the greatest value to customers. A crucial part of Reid’s role is helping customers understand the relationship between what they want and what is technically feasible. “We’ve started developing simulations of our systems, which provide much clearer visuals of how the system will function and why,” Reid says. “This ability shows the customer their ideas, highlighting both negative and positive aspects.”
For those just entering the field, Reid offers simple but powerful advice: “Be aggressive in your own growth. Controls is a very deep field; there is so much to learn that it feels nearly impossible. To anyone starting out, I highly recommend investing as much time as possible to learn and lay the foundation for your future career and growth.”
Outside of work, Reid brings the same drive and discipline to his personal life. A dedicated CrossFit athlete and adventurer, he and his wife have visited iconic destinations like Zion, Glacier, Bryce, and Grand Canyon National Parks and are set to explore Banff next.
Stay tuned to learn how our Design Engineering team keeps Spring moving forward. Join the conversation on LinkedIn or reach out to us at sales@springautomation.com.