By Fran Eaton –
Having traveled and studied abroad, John Mroczek Jr. says he’s settled into the family business for two reasons: 1. the joy of having a part in making items that are crucial to humankind, and 2. the pleasure of working side by side with his father, uncles, and cousins.
After receiving a degree from Marquette University, John followed his older brother Roger’s Northwestern, Georgetown & Harvard alumnus recommendation to study at Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, Spain. There, at the IE University Business School, ranked among the top ten business schools in Europe, John completed a master’s degree in business specializing in International Business and Sales & Marketing.
Studying in Spain was an eye-opening experience, Mroczek told TMA News.
“I had one roommate from Russia, one from India, and one from Washington, DC. Being in such a dynamic environment and all of us transplanted from our respective home countries, we formed a unique bond,” he said.
In addition, he worked on case studies with fellow students from Lebanon, France, China, Venezuela, and South Africa just to name a few.
“So as we approached how to solve business case studies, everybody brought their own culture and mindset. And you realize how differently the world sees things, including the United States.“
The biggest thing was how others perceived Americans’ consumption patterns, especially energy, food and gas consumption. We had the opportunity to fight some of those stigmas,” he continued.
“The coolest thing we realized was that no matter what country, religion, race, or sex, everybody, at the end of the day, wants to be successful. They want to be happy with their family and to make the world a better place.”
While John enjoyed studying overseas, the now 36-year old was eventually drawn back to the family business—JBW Machining in Franklin Park, IL—six years ago.
Being the youngest in the family may have contributed to that, he says. His two older brothers tend to travel coast to coast or from Boston to Poland—but always further away than John prefers.
“Being close to home, I knew there would be plenty of opportunities in Chicago. But the more I dove into and evaluated the family business, the more I began to see the potential, the curve status, and how my academic background and studies could benefit the business, the family, and myself.”
JBW Machining was founded by John’s father in 1981 and his father’s two brothers-in-law.
Today, the three founders remain active in the business, as do one of each of the founders’ sons.
“They’re still running the business, ownership, and partnership, so they’ve been tremendous guiding lights for my cousins and me. It’s great to see them in their element and how proficient and knowledgeable they are in the field,” John said.
John’s father, mother, and extended family came through New York from Poland when John Sr. was 24 years old. Even though a family friend in Miami sponsored them, John’s grandfather knew there would be better career opportunities in Chicago’s Polish community, so the family headed to the Midwest. There, John Sr. started a machining business in his family’s garage.
“The biggest thing for my father was to be self-sufficient and his own boss. While many people think that comes easily, it is the opposite. It takes a tremendous number of long hours, blood, sweat, tears, and pure passion,” John said.
“I grow a greater and greater appreciation and fondness for him every day as I think about that fork in the road of his life when he decided to start a business.”
John says that holding a few corporate roles after business school let him see firsthand how large organizations work and how they’re structured and obtain critical training in customer relations, sales, marketing, operations, and accounting.
After that, he was ready to apply what he had learned to join and grow the family business.
John now works with his family to provide precision CNC machining for several industries. They specialize in turning, milling, and grinding applications with critical tolerances for aerospace/defense, automotive, agricultural, medical, food and beverage, and heavy equipment.
“We offer custom machining, custom quantities, precise specification, just-in-time turnaround, and competitive pricing.At JBW, our goal is to be responsive by anticipating our customers’ needs,” their business says.
To meet that goal, JBW is looking for quality talent, just as many others in the industry are. But they are also exploring new automation for the business—all with the focus of turning around jobs to meet deadlines.
“After getting my footing, I saw how we could use a technological overhaul regarding hardware equipment and computers. We installed a new ERP system to obtain proper information and data for proper record keeping,” John said.
And it all came together for John when he became directly involved in the family business.
He said it was inspiring for him to be aware of how the items a particular company ordered would be used and to be intimately involved in each step of the process from raw material to finished product.
“Then, seeing how that finished part represents JBW. You have a sense of pride and ownership for that. Then that reflects upon the business started by our family…”
And that all comes back to what a fulfilling life is about for John Mroczek, Jr.
Having recently started a family with his own marriage to Aline Mroczek, who works at Abbott Laboratories Headquarters as a Global Marketing Manager, he’s experiencing the rewards and challenges of running a successful business.
He closed the interview by saying, “We’re looking to continue to expand and grow and stay with TMA for many years to come, obviously. If any TMA member has potential projects or knows of qualified talent, please get in touch with me or the company directly.”
Find out more about John’s at JBW Machining
First published in TMA’s July/August 2024 News Bulletin. Written by TMA News Bulletin Editor Fran Eaton.