WKU News

A Glasgow company that’s recognized globally for innovative conveyor systems is reaping the benefits of a WKU and Gatton Academy alum.

WKU’s Amy Bingham has more on how Nathan Lasley is making a big impact at SpanTech in this week’s View from the Hill.

“One of my professors sat me down and said look, this is gonna be an opportunity, you need to take it.”

Nathan Lasley says a yearlong co-op at a tire manufacturer during college solidified his future in mechanical engineering.

“That was actually kind of a turning point in my career because I was still unsure at that point. I knew I enjoyed the classes but that opportunity to get my hands dirty and do real work is what changed my mind.”

Today Lasley is developing new products at SpanTech, a global leader in developing conveyor systems.

“He learned the conveyer business, learned how to design conveyers and then slowly we eased him over the Research and Development and we found out he was a very talented designer of new products.”

“This is the software I mentioned…”

A 2012 Gatton Academy graduate, Lasley went on to receive the Evan McCasland Award in Mechanical Engineering when he graduated from WKU in 2017.

“The engineering program had some fantastic faculty that helped me.”

Now he’s leaving his fingerprints on a showroom full of SpanTech’s innovative systems.

“One product we’ve released in this past year is a product called Easy Guide which is a modular product guide system, it’s fully adjustable.”

Lasley’s name will be attached to his most recent design that has yet to be released to the public.

“No one else has a product like it on the market. We’re still developing some of the details on the project. It will probably be released here soon.”

The invention Nathan is referring to is called the Lasley Guard and is described as revolutionary in the world of conveyor systems.