Mission
To provide thoughtful, innovative, future-forward solutions and become valued partners across lean automation and brand activation.
Vision
To define and transform the future of manufacturing.
What We Do
We scope, develop, and support solutions by integrating our modeling, technical expertise, and systematic discovery. We then identify opportunities to modify existing business processes to drive operational efficiencies and create competitive advantage.
How We Do It
Innovation and discerning discovery underscore everything we do.
Quick-turn, transactional projects just aren’t our thing.
- We scope, investigate, and ask the right questions to understand your business.
- We listen closely to all the company stakeholders––corporate staff, factory management, engineering and line operators in a customized discovery process that helps define business opportunities.
- We integrate and synchronize what our partners do best with what we do best.
- We develop action plans tailored to our partner’s environment, ensuring that we utilize their resources to present and execute positive change for both the short-term and long-term.
Where We Began
We began over 20 years ago. Simply stated, we inserted toys into cereal boxes, more than a billion of them. Instead of just designing a machine to insert toys, we developed a business model that didn’t require capital, minimized line disruption, minimized corporate staff time or factory personnel maintenance. And, that model could be deployed on demand. We found ways to meet a marketing need without creating manufacturing headaches.
Core Values
Our Leaders
Greg Batton
President & CEO
Greg Batton is Chief Executive Officer/President and founder of Insight, Inc. He brings a wide array of strategic, operational, and manufacturing experience and expertise to this position. Prior to founding Insight, Greg had divisional responsibility for manufacturing, R&D, and engineering for Wilson Sporting Goods.
He founded Insight in 1998, introducing a then-innovative business model, Machine as a Service (MAAS). This technical-based outsourcing model for CPGs transformed the way they met non-core business demands. The model provides equipment and service to major food/CPG manufacturers without capital expenditures, enabling greater flexibility in cash flow, manufacturing and staffing. This model has reduced overall client costs and increased service consistently.
In 2017, Greg purchased Chicago Automation, a robotics engineering firm serving a broad spectrum of disciplines, including food packaging, plastics processing and injection molding, machine tool automation, assembly and factory robotic integration. Insight has applied its technical-based business model to automation and robotics.
Elaine Hugar
Human Resources Consultant
Elaine Hugar provides strategic HR consulting to Insight on a fractional basis through her firm, DPG Management. Creating effective practices related to people is a fundamental part of Insight’s success. Elaine and the DPG team help to attract, retain, and motivate employees with a culture of alignment and accountability.
Elaine has been fortunate to help organizations achieve results through their talented employees for over 25 years. She is highly regarded for providing strategic HR leadership as well as innovative and practical solutions for clients. Elaine has led the HR function in organizations ranging from start-ups to companies with thousands of employees. When not designing HR solutions, Elaine enjoys spending time with her family.
Russ Muth
Vice President, Client Services
Insight’s Vice President of Client Services, Russ Muth, is a proven general manager with 25 years’ experience in strategic planning, product design and development, B2B/B2C sales and marketing, automation, and global supply chain.
He has developed solutions for world class brands such as P&G, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Nestle, and has activated brand partnerships with global properties such as Disney, Olympics, World Cup, NFL, Nickelodeon, Crayola and Universal. Walmart, Target, Meijer, Amazon, and Toys R Us are among the list of retailers Russ has worked with. Besides his family, Russ loves soccer and Manchester United.
Sasha Radovanovich
Chief Innovation Officer
Sasha Radovanovich, Insight’s Chief Innovation Officer, prides himself on delivering future-forward design and engineering of unique automation solutions.
He spent 15 years learning every aspect of custom automation and robotics with companies like Tisma Machinery Corporation, Cox Automation (BBS), and Colborne before starting his own robotics automation company called Chicago Automation. After building a strong local client base over 6 years, he decided to merge Chicago Automation with Insight, who has a strong list of international CPG clients.
Sasha started his career with an aerospace engineering degree and still hopes to return to his roots and fly someday.
Phil Ziesemer
Chief Financial Officer
Phil’s strong business acumen and analytical skills have allowed him to be a trusted business partner and relationship builder across the organization. Shaped by his experience at RJR Nabisco, his focus on the “how” and “why” enables him to proactively identify and analyze business issues for financial and operational consequences, as well as alignment with corporate strategies.
Learning the intricacies of our clients businesses guides Phil as he focuses on efficiencies and internal controls. When he’s not discovering the “how” and “why,” you can find Phil cheering on his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.
Our Partners
Insight has been providing innovative solutions to major manufacturers across lean automation and brand activation for 20 years.
We’re proud to partner with these consumer brands.
And these manufacturers.
OUR HISTORY
Since our inception in 1999, Insight has expanded our services to better serve the unique needs of the CPG industry.
A few of our more meaningful milestones are noted below:
