CRUX ENGINEERING PARTNERS

Capability Statement

Get to the crux. Solve it. Unlock the value.

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Licensed Professional Engineer | cruxengineeringpartners.com

Crux Engineering Partners helps manufacturers, distributors, facility owners, and investors turn complex operational challenges into clear decisions and measurable results. We bring the perspective of engineers who have run plants, delivered major capital projects, and led engineering organizations at Fortune 500 companies.

Crux Engineering Partners: 12+ client engagements completed · 3 states served · End-to-end root cause, design, and delivered solutions

Principal’s prior corporate roles: $500M+ capital investment operationalized · $40M+ annualized cost savings delivered · 15+ years of Fortune 500 and CPG engineering leadership

CORE CAPABILITIES

Capital Projects & Startups

From scoping to startup, on schedule and on budget.

  • Greenfield and brownfield plant builds

  • Line installation, commissioning, and startup

  • Schedule and budget recovery for troubled projects

  • CAPEX portfolio planning and prioritization

Operational Excellence

More throughput, lower cost, higher reliability.

  • TPM, OEE improvement, and Lean Six Sigma

  • Daily management systems, KPIs, and loss elimination

  • Footprint consolidation and network optimization

  • Change management that makes gains stick

Root-Cause Analysis of Critical Systems

Find the true cause, fix it, prevent recurrence.

  • HVAC, plumbing, utilities, and process equipment

  • Roof systems and building envelopes

  • Design, installation, and maintenance causes

  • Corrective actions and repair-vs-replace guidance

Process, Packaging & Automation

Practical engineering for regulated operations.

  • High-speed filling and packaging lines

  • Food safety, aseptic, and leak detection systems

  • Warehouse and end-of-line automation (AMR, IoT)

  • New product and manufacturing process development

Maintenance, Reliability & Asset Care

Keep critical assets running, predictably and at lower cost.

  • Maintenance and reliability assessments and roadmaps

  • PM/PdM programs and condition monitoring

  • RCM, FMEA, and asset criticality analysis

  • CMMS implementation, planning, and scheduling

  • MRO spares strategy and storeroom optimization

  • Asset lifecycle planning and maintenance KPIs

INTERIM & FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Experienced leadership in place fast, without a lengthy search.

Fill a vacancy, cover a transition, or lead a startup or turnaround. Full-time interim, part-time fractional, or project-based, with a clean handoff to your permanent team.

Operations Leadership

  • Interim VP or Director of Operations

  • Plant or site manager

  • Supply chain and logistics leadership

Technical Leadership

  • Interim VP or Director of Engineering

  • Maintenance and reliability leadership

  • Capital program and PMO lead

Onsite Leadership

  • Startup and commissioning lead

  • Turnaround and recovery lead

  • owner’s representative on site

WHY CRUX

Operator perspective

We have run plants and led teams, so our advice works on the floor.

Licensed and accountable

Work led by a licensed Professional Engineer, PMP, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Action and results oriented

We move fast, own the outcome, and measure success by results delivered.

HOW WE WORK

1 ASSESS

Define the real problem and what success looks like.

2 DIAGNOSE

Find root causes through field investigation.

3 RECOMMEND

Prioritized options with costs, risks, and returns.

4 DELIVER

Stay engaged through startup and handoff.

SERVICES & CLIENTS

Engagement Types

  • Forensic and root-cause investigations

  • Plant performance assessments

  • Capital project oversight and recovery

  • Project and program management

  • Interim and fractional leadership

  • Due diligence for investors

Clients

  • Manufacturers and co-manufacturers

  • Distributors and logistics operators

  • Facility owners and operators

  • PE/VC firms and portfolio companies

Industries

  • Food, beverage, and CPG

  • Distribution and warehousing

  • Industrial and process manufacturing

  • Commercial and residential buildings

SELECTED RESULTS

CRUX ENGINEERING PARTNERS • 2024–PRESENT

  • Client reach. Led 12+ engagements across 3 states for clients including nationally recognized industry leaders.

  • Root-cause analysis. Investigated critical-system failures in the field to find and document the true cause.

  • Design and delivery. Developed engineering design recommendations and delivered the solutions that resolved each issue.

  • AI enablement. Trained client generative AI tools, enabling their teams to unlock engineering and operational value.

PRINCIPAL’S PRIOR CORPORATE ROLES

  • Project turnaround (Food & beverage manufacturer). Recovered a late, over-budget $100M+ greenfield plant; saved $1M+.

  • Growth on existing assets (CPG manufacturer). Reconfigured equipment for new processes, enabling double-digit growth.

  • Network consolidation (Distribution company). Halved a multi-site network, saving $10M+ per year and lifting EBITDA.

  • Multi-site quality fix (CPG manufacturer). Traced a multi-plant packaging failure to its design cause; saved $1M+ per year.

  • Disaster recovery (Food & beverage manufacturer). Restored a major plant to production in under two weeks after a fire.

  • Reliability (CPG manufacturer). Drove OEE to 85%+ and $3M+ per year in savings across a multi-site network via TPM.

PRINCIPAL PROFILE

Jake Lunday, PE, PMP, MS Founder & Managing Director, Crux Engineering Partners

Jake is a licensed Professional Engineer with 15+ years in key technical and operational leadership roles at Fortune 500 and leading CPG, beverage, and distribution companies, rising to Director and Vice President executive roles leading plant startups, turnarounds, and growth programs. He has operationalized $500M+ in capital investment and delivered $40M+ in annualized savings. Jake is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve’s Engineering Duty Officer community. He is also the co-founder of the medical device start-up fluidIQ. He holds an M.S. in Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-lunday

COMPANY DATA

Legal entity

Lunday Enterprises LLC, d/b/a Crux Engineering Partners (Tennessee LLC)

Service area

Consulting nationwide; engineering where licensed. Based in Brentwood, TN

NAICS codes

541330 Engineering Services (primary); 541690; 541611

Insurance

E&O and General Liability; COIs on request

Established

2024

Licensure

Professional Engineer: TN, TX, NC

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE

info@cruxengineeringpartners.com | (615) 208-7316 | cruxengineeringpartners.com

linkedin.com/company/crux-engineering-partners