Alumni Career Feature
John Oleski
We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.
John Oleski
- B.S., Manufacturing Engineering Technology, 1999
- Kylie's Canine Treats
- jcoleski@kyliescaninetreats.com
John began his career in the manufacturing industry. After multiple lay-offs, he decided to make a career move. He and his sister toyed around with the idea of going into business for themselves. They found inspiration in her dog Kylie—making dog treats would be a great business!
Kylie’s Canine Treats
Through trial and error, John and his sister worked on various recipes for their dog treats. Once they found the right recipe it was time to put the production in motion. John’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology gave him the knowledge to design the two machines needed to produce the dog treats.
John and his sister began selling the treats at various fairs, craft shows, and other outdoor festivals. Their success inspired them to expand their market to craft stores, natural healing shops, campgrounds, and other stores. To demonstrate the uniqueness and high quality of Kylie’s Canine Treats, they prefer to keep their product separate from other dog treats and seek exclusive contracts. They also have their own year-round retail stand in a mall in the Mechanicsburg area and have a stand at two additional malls for the holidays. Additionally, a bakery storefront is scheduled to open in December 2005 in New Cumberland.
The business is now focused on distribution, with 22 locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York and plans to branch out into more states.
Long-term Goals
John currently splits his time between production, distribution, accounting, and attaining accounts. His sister is mainly responsible for the retail side of the company.
John would like to see the company grow within the next few years. He has a goal to sell Kylie’s Canine Treats in 100 outlets within one year. Reaching this goal will require a larger production plant.
John is currently working on a grant to build a facility that will be completely accessible to disabled persons, who will make up a large part of his workforce. While he was working in the manufacturing industry, he saw too many workers become disabled and unable to continue their work. He would like to give opportunities to disabled persons so they continue to earn a living wage.
Advice
For those interested in pursuing a manufacturing degree, John advises looking for an internship opportunity. This allows students to make sure they’ve made the right career choice and helps them to determine exactly what aspect of the manufacturing industry they are interested in.
