Wilder, Kentucky, April 14, 2025 – Jacob Makola has been hired as Director, Global Supply Chain at EDGE Industrial Technologies (EDGE), a leading global producer of industrial machine knives and blades, punches, and related equipment. This newly created position will help strengthen the supply side of all EDGE businesses, from raw materials through third-party sourcing and freight movement.
“Jacob is a results- and data-driven change leader with impressive skills in materials and operations management, data analytics and visualization, process improvement, and more,” said Jake Sims, VP of Product Management at EDGE. “All this, along with his passion for leadership, coaching and mentorship will be incredibly valuable to EDGE operations and team members.”

In this role, Makola will be responsible for creating and driving a cohesive global supply chain strategy that aligns best-in-class sourcing, procurement, and logistics practices across EDGE’s manufacturing and distribution facilities. Reporting to Sims, Makola also will lead the company’s efforts to leverage automation and artificial intelligence across all processes. He also will provide key leadership for value creation, leveraging automation and artificial intelligence across all business processes.
Makola brings seven years of manufacturing leadership and supply chain experience to his new role. Most recently, he was Operations Manager for L3Harris Technologies, a solutions provider to the defense and space industries. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Production and Inventory Management Certificate from the Association for Supply Chain Management. When he’s not working Makola practices Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, plays competitive billiards, and spends time outdoors. He lives with his partner and two dogs in Rochester, New York, and will work out of the Pearl Technologies Inc. (an EDGE brand) office in Savannah, New York.
About EDGE Industrial Technologies
EDGE Industrial Technologies is comprised of three industry leading brands – TGW International, Pearl Technologies Inc., and Leverwood Knife Works. EDGE companies are leading producers of industrial machine knives and blades, industrial punches, and related equipment, for a variety of markets, including packaging, processing, converting, medical, and general industrial applications. EDGE Industrial Technologies is a global leader in the manufacture of these products, with plants in North America and Asia.