John Danes

John joined the KEP team in 1987 and is proud to have contributed to our growth for more than three decades, working at all levels throughout the company. Becoming President of Kent Elastomer Products in 2023, John finds leadership inspiration in two former company presidents – Bob Oborn and Murray Von Epp – who valued investing in employees and leading by example. In his prior role, John led the operations department at all three of our facilities and remains one of our lean experts, seeking to incorporate the continuous improvement mindset into every aspect of KEP.

“We all have different views, strengths, experiences and personalities that collectively make us the team that we are. KEP is just the name of our company – it is the people that create the experience and legacy of who KEP is and what we represent.”

John also serves his community as a Board of Education member for Southeast Local Schools, a board member of the Akron Area Better Business Bureau and an active participant in multiple local charity events each year.

In his personal time, John loves spending time with his family camping, fishing and going to Cleveland Browns games.