Carol Johnson | Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – An engineer at Jasper Engines & Transmissions is among up-and-coming Hoosiers
named to the sixth annual Conexus Indiana Rising 30, a recognition of young professionals who work in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) industries.
Brock Bawel is a Quality Engineering Manager at Jasper Engines. According to his Rising 30
bio, Bawel serves as a bridge between the company’s engineering team and floor-level
execution. A 2020 graduate of Purdue University, Bawel first joined Jasper Engines as an R&D intern at the age of 16. Less than a decade later, he now guides a 50-person division.
Bawel spoke to Southern Indiana Business Report about the recognition.
“This honor means a great deal to me. I’m grateful for the many opportunities Jasper has provided throughout my career and for the teammates and leaders who have supported and challenged me along the way,” Bawel said. “This recognition reflects the teamwork behind the work we do every day and motivates me to continue contributing to Jasper’s success.”
Jasper Engines & Transmissions is a re-manufacturer of gas/diesel engines, transmissions, and other drivetrain components.
Bawel was always familiar with the company because of his family’s connections to it. But he said what he learned during a summer internship deepened his appreciation for the work and set him on his future career path.
“I knew about the business, but I didn’t know what the day-to-day culture felt like,” he said. “That internship was a start to finding out what I wanted to do in life and go to school for.”
As an intern, he was introduced to all departments of the plant. It was the time spent in the research and testing department that opened his eyes to the career opportunities in
engineering. He continued to acquire more skills and knowledge. He enrolled in a welding program through his high school and spent several summers as seasonal, part-time support in ITD (Indiana Tool and Die), gaining hands-on experience and a strong understanding of Jasper’s culture through welding and fabricating various things for production.
After graduating from Purdue in 2020 with a degree in Industrial Engineering Technology, he began his full-time career at Jasper Engines where he learned about every component of an engine. He joined the Quality team and after two years became a Group Leader focused on diesel engines. After about two years as a Group Leader, Bawel stepped into his current role of Divisional Manager of Engine Quality.
As a remanufacturer, Jasper Engines is unique when compared to the manufacturing world.
“We manufacture a few parts that go on engines. And we have a 3D printing division that makes parts for engines and transmissions, but 95% of what we do is remanufacturing,” Bawel said.
Today’s manufacturers are finding new ways to use 3D printing, AI, robotics and automation to improve their processes.
“We’re starting to implement some new technologies, but the variation in our products has held us back a little bit,” he noted. “Looking to our future, we’re putting in more CNC machines. We’re adding our first robotic arm within the month and that’s an exciting change.”
About the Rising 30
Presented by Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM), the Rising 30 program spotlights Hoosiers 30 years old and younger whose early-career contributions demonstrate the depth of talent driving Indiana’s largest industry sector forward. Each honoree was nominated by an employer or industry representative and selected based on professional accomplishments and demonstrated impact.
“Recognizing emerging talent is one of the most important investments we can make in
Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics community. The Rising 30 class never fails to remind us of the depth of talent that exists across this state, and this year’s cohort is no
exception,” said Jordan Mayer, partner in KSM’s Manufacturing & Distribution Services Group.
The 2026 cohort reflects the true breadth of Indiana’s AML sector. Honorees hold roles
spanning quality engineering and controls, supply chain and logistics, finance and business
development, materials science and R&D, operations leadership and IT and systems
infrastructure.
The honorees work for organizations of every size and type – from global automotive
manufacturers and life sciences companies to homegrown startups and regional economic
development organizations – and they are based in communities across the state. Nine Indiana colleges and universities are represented among this year’s honorees, a reflection of the depth of the state’s talent pipeline.
“Young talent is one of Indiana’s greatest competitive advantages in advanced manufacturing and logistics,” said Jay Wirts, president and CEO of Conexus Indiana. “What makes this class so exciting is what they reflect about the industries themselves. They’re high-tech, sophisticated and constantly evolving. These 30 individuals aren’t waiting to shape the future of Indiana manufacturing. They’re already doing it.”
AML is the backbone of Indiana’s economy, accounting for more than a third of the state’s GDP and employing hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers. Recognizing and developing young talent in the sector through the Rising 30 program is one way Conexus helps to keep that foundation strong.
In the year ahead, Rising 30 honorees will engage with Conexus Indiana’s programming as
thought leaders, lending their perspectives on technology adoption, workforce development and the future of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industries.
The 2026 Rising 30 class is being recognized this week at an awards reception at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis.