Episode #64: Inside Reytek: How CEO Ed Kuyper Grows People, Strengthens Community, and Redefines Success cover art

Episode #64: Inside Reytek: How CEO Ed Kuyper Grows People, Strengthens Community, and Redefines Success

Episode #64: Inside Reytek: How CEO Ed Kuyper Grows People, Strengthens Community, and Redefines Success

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 Some leaders step into new roles; others step into new ways of leading. In this episode of Missing Conversations, Altus Growth Partners executive coaches Dan Winter and Lynette Winter talk with Ed Kuyper, CEO of Reytek Equipment, a New Mexico–based manufacturer serving the semiconductor, aerospace, and biotech industries. Ed shares the inner work and practical choices behind his transition from corporate executive to small-business CEO, and what it really means to lead with trust, humility, and care. His story reflects a leader's deepest responsibility: to grow people, strengthen communities, and create the conditions where everyone can contribute their best. From creative approaches to hiring and developing talent to rethinking time, self-care, and leadership presence, this conversation invites leaders to consider how they show up for their people, their organizations, and the communities they serve. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 02:12: Ed shares the fear, opportunities, and inner work that opened the next chapter of his leadership journey. 09:36: Redefining trust: why it's not just about character, but context, attitude, and the courage to rebuild when it breaks. 15:09: How Ed uses Reytek to develop people while building products that last. 19:20: "Job-in-a-Box": the creative way Ed built a pipeline of local talent by meeting people where they are. 21:14: The CEO's most difficult question: how do you decide what deserves your time when everyone wants a piece of it? 24:46: Building ownership at home base, and how Ed empowers his team to make decisions when he's not in the room. 30:51: Staying true to your values when the company needs to change, and helping others do the same. 31:53: The story of a TaskRabbit turned accountant, and why character shown in small moments defines who you hire. 37:13: How listening to customers builds a "fan team" that carries your business forward. 41:02: Why taking care of your own well-being makes you better for your people, your customers, and your community. 48:18: The power of peer connection: why every leader needs a trusted circle to think, vent, and grow with. 52:57: The real meaning of practice. It's not about mastery or medals, but the doing that shapes who you become. 55:00: When breakdowns happen, how transparency, steadiness, and purpose turn repair into renewal. 59:10: A closing reminder for every leader: remember why you're there, and the difference only you can make. Your people at work need you to be the best version of you. 🎧 Explore what happens when a CEO leads not from position, but from presence, and what it unlocks for teams and communities. Listen now. About Ed Kuyper Ed Kuyper is the CEO of Reytek Equipment, a manufacturer of stainless steel cleanroom furniture and equipment based in Albuquerque, NM, serving the semiconductor, EV battery, aerospace, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries. With more than 30 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and product marketing—including two decades at Intel—Ed combines technical depth with strategic vision. At Reytek, he is leading the company's modernization, integrating digital marketing, launching BIM/Revit product libraries, and strengthening customer partnerships with end customers, distribution partners, and cleanroom builders. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and holds advanced degrees in physics, mechanical engineering, and business. He and his wife, Jennifer, also own Rainforest Baskets, representing master weavers in Panama, Colombia, and Ghana to retailers and collectors around the world. You can connect with Ed here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edkuyper/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/reytek-equipment/posts/?feedView=all Catch Ed's TedTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZW-uw2fm5o About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It's in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what's possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book ...
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