Practical first
A system can be technically impressive, but if operators cannot use it, maintenance cannot troubleshoot it, or the customer cannot support it after startup, it missed the mark.
About MAK Solutions
Industrial automation built on real plant-floor work.
Two decades of controls engineering, electrical design, commissioning, and troubleshooting across sand plants, breweries, pollution control equipment, material handling, and modern plant-floor data systems. Practical first. Honest about fit.
5 years U.S. Navy ET, submarines 20+ years industrial automation ★ Certification Veteran-Owned
Where it started
Career built on real plant-floor work
Matthew Kuss founded MAK Solutions LLC after starting his career at an OEM that built thermal oxidizers and air pollution control equipment. That early work covered a wide variety of industries, processes, and real-world plant problems and built the foundation that everything since has rested on.
Since then, the work has grown into controls engineering, electrical design, commissioning, troubleshooting, and automation support across sand plants, manufacturing systems, material handling, breweries, and plant-floor data systems. PLCs, HMIs, drives, instrumentation, OT networks, and plant-level control systems are the daily toolkit.
MAK Solutions exists to do controls work the way it should be done: practical, honest, and focused on long-term value. As technology has advanced, the gap between traditional plant-floor automation and modern IT systems has grown, and a lot of that work falls in the seam. The goal is to bridge that seam without overcomplicating it - solve real problems, add real value, and build systems that stay useful long after startup.
Before the plant floor
From submarine electronics to plant-floor controls
Before returning to school and entering the industrial automation field, Matt served five years in the U.S. Navy aboard submarines as an Electronics Technician (ET) - radio operations and repair, electronic surveillance measures, and radar operation and maintenance.
That foundation in electronics, troubleshooting, and mission-critical systems still shows up in how he approaches automation work today: assume nothing, measure twice, and document so the next person on shift can pick up the work.
What we stand for
What we believe about controls work
Connect the plant floor to the bigger picture
PLCs, HMIs, OT networks, databases, reports, and dashboards all matter more when they work together. Modern controls work bridges plant-floor automation and the rest of the business; it does not create separate islands.
Honest about fit
If MAK Solutions cannot add real value to a project or help solve a real problem, we will say so up front. That conversation is worth more than a billable hour on the wrong engagement.
Honest about fit
Where MAK Solutions is not the right fit
Telling you up front where we will not add value is part of doing the job right. Here is what to expect us to say no to or push back on.
We will not force a technology stack
Not because it is trendy, not because it is convenient, not because it is profitable for us. The right solution depends on the customer, the plant, the support team, and the actual problem being solved.
We do not disappear after startup
If a system cannot be understood, supported, maintained, or expanded by the people who own and run it, the job is not finished. The handoff is part of the job, not a step we skip.
We will tell you when we are not the right fit
If a project needs a large full-time onsite team for months at a time, or if there is no clear way for us to add value, we will say so early - and point you toward a partner who is the better fit when we can.
Selected work
Where we have done the work
High-level summaries of representative projects across the industries and equipment types MAK Solutions has supported. Company names withheld for NDA reasons; the work speaks for itself.
On the job
Hands inside the cabinet. The same way MAK Solutions approaches every project: get to the equipment, get to the root cause, leave the system better than it was found.
Sand plant control systems
Multi-site automation work across both new sand plant control system design and regional support for existing facilities. PLC and HMI programming, electrical design coordination, troubleshooting, startup support, and standardizing controls practices across sites. The goal was never just to get equipment running - it was to improve reliability, reduce repeat downtime, make systems easier to troubleshoot, and give operators and maintenance teams better tools to keep production moving.
Thermal oxidizers and pollution control
OEM work on thermal oxidizers and air pollution control equipment across a wide range of industries: burners, process equipment, safety interlocks, instrumentation, control panels, PLC logic, commissioning, and real-world startup conditions. The lesson that shaped everything since: the control system is not separate from the process. It has to support how the equipment actually runs and how maintenance teams diagnose problems when something goes wrong.
In-house brewery engineering
Five years as one of two engineers at a local brewery: production equipment, maintenance support, process improvements, troubleshooting, and reliability work. That role gave direct experience living with the long-term results of controls decisions, not just handing over a project after startup. Improvements were measured in fewer breakdowns, better uptime, smoother production days, clearer maintenance priorities, and faster response when issues came up.
Plant-floor data systems
Helping customers turn plant-floor signals into useful information for production, maintenance, quality, and management: downtime tracking, troubleshooting tools, dashboards, reports, and electronic preventative maintenance systems. The value is not collecting data; it is giving people information they can actually use to reduce downtime, improve reliability, and move from reactive repairs to planned maintenance.
Education and accreditation
Background and training
- BS in Computer Science (focus on data analytics)
- Ignition Core Certified
- Hands-on experience with Rockwell / Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI
- Hands-on experience with Siemens TIA Portal PLC and HMI
Safety and regulatory
Field-ready
- HASC basic safety training
- OSHA fall protection training
- 40-hour HAZWOPER
- Basic first aid
- CPR
Project types
Where MAK Solutions adds the most value
TYP-01
Control System Upgrades
Replacing outdated controls, improving reliability, and standardizing PLC/HMI platforms.
TYP-02
Production Data Systems
Collecting plant-floor data into databases and dashboards for reporting, visibility, and traceability.
TYP-03
Machine + Process Integration
Connecting equipment, sensors, drives, HMIs, databases, and business systems into a usable workflow.
TYP-04
Commissioning + Startup
Getting equipment running, resolving issues, validating sequences, and supporting operators.
Platform capability
Not locked to one vendor
MAK Solutions supports the platform that fits the customer's existing systems, maintenance team, and budget. That includes Rockwell PLCs, Siemens PLCs, Ignition, Grafana, Node-RED, PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB, custom middleware, HMIs, industrial networks, VFDs, sensors, and control panels.
MAK Solutions is platform-capable but solution-focused. The right tool is the one that solves the problem and stays maintainable for the plant team that inherits it.
Start a conversation
Tell us about the equipment, the line, or the problem.
Reply within one business day with next steps. No high-pressure pitch; just a straight conversation about whether MAK Solutions is the right fit.