Meet Luke Adams, one of our Level III Controls Engineers based in our Golden, CO office. He interned at LSI in 2015, and after graduating in 2016, joined us full-time and swiftly established himself as a key engineer on our team. His contributions make us proud, and it’s an honor to spotlight him this month! Three words to describe Luke: dedicated, passionate, and ambitious. Read our latest Employee Spotlight interview below.
How long have you been with LSI?
Eight years.
Describe your current role and experience at LSI.
My current role is controls engineer. The experience has been excellent. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great people over the years. Our company takes pride in its culture and ensuring a great work-life balance.
Where did you go to college?
I went to the University of Colorado, Boulder. Sko Buffs!
What industries have you been involved in?
I have been able to get my hands “dirty” in several different industries, including food production, brewing, coffee, natural gas utilities, oil and gas, material handling, mining, and water treatment. I am probably forgetting some as well, but I have been fortunate enough to get involved with quite a few clients/facilities.
Tell us about a project success story that you are proud of.
The project that comes to mind is our most recent project for a mining client we just wrapped up. I started off providing “staff augmentation” with this client helping with plant projects before becoming the lead engineer and now project manager. My first project was to upgrade the mill’s Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) Mill control system for SAG Mill #1 (the plant has four SAG Mills in total). Each Mill is powered by two 13,800-volt, 3,500 horsepower motors, turning a 30-foot diameter bull gear. I helped the client with budgeting forecasts in preparation for the upgrade(s) as well as a total re-design of their control system. The unique thing about the existing control infrastructure for SAG Mill 1-4 is that each system is entirely run with relay logic, some of which has not changed much since the construction of the plant in the late 70’s. We tore out all the relays and replaced them with a ControlLogix PLC and several remote racks of I/O. So far, we have completed SAG Mill #1 & #2 in 2023 and are continuing the upgrades for SAG Mill #3 (this system was partially upgraded in 2015) and #4 in 2024 & 2025. SAG Mill #1 & #2 went very well; I am proud to report and am very excited to start the process again for the rest of the Mills.
What do you think is unique about LSI?
I really enjoy the culture that LSI has been built around. It is very important to me and is one of my favorite things about the company.
How have you grown professionally since joining LSI?
Since joining LSI, I have grown tremendously. I came in very “green” with a mechanical engineering degree. Thinking I was going to be a mechanical engineer, I changed trajectories toward becoming a controls engineer. After working very hard and learning as much as possible from my peers around me, I can confidently say controls is where it’s at!
What advice do you have for aspiring engineers?
Similar answer as above. Just soak up as much information as possible and learn from other professionals around you. Everyone is very willing to help! Don’t be afraid to approach your peers!
What is your favorite vacation spot?
New Zealand will always hold a special spot in my heart because of its vast landscape and serene views. The fishing was pretty epic, too! Pictured is South Island, New Zealand; Fiordland National Park near the town of Te Anau heading toward Milford Sound. We lived out of a small camper van while exploring the island. Every day consisted of either fishing, driving or backpacking deep into the mountains of this beautiful place.
Do you have any hobbies or random facts about yourself that you could share with us?
I enjoy being outside (fishing, hunting, biking, skiing, etc.)