About Dave

Dave is a second-generation owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., a custom gear manufacturer in Wisconsin. By age 21, he had become a journeyman machinist. He left the family business to seek greener pastures, only to return 7 years later, realizing home wasn’t so bad!  Now equipped with life experiences and degrees from UC Irvine and Regent College, he sought to understand if the teachings of Jesus are relevant in a blue-collar machine shop. Twenty years later, while still leading the company, he completed a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University, where he developed the foundation for Craftsman with Character. Known for his humble, servant-leader approach, Dave believes that character is more foundational than raw skill. In 2013, he partnered with his local high school to launch the Craftsman with Character® course, designed to expose students to manufacturing while building the soft skills that support long-term success in work and life. As a result, Edgerton Gear is fully staffed, experiences near zero turnover, and has an average employee age in the low 30s.

Today, growing Craftsman with Character® has become Dave’s life mission. What began in one high school classroom is now expanding across 7 states and 40+ schools, connecting students to trades, purpose, and the people who believe in their potential to transform communities.