Our Leadership
Kurt Adair is the founder and owner of Exact Panel Works, a Palatine, Illinois–based fabricator of custom architectural cladding panels serving projects nationwide.
A University of Illinois–trained engineer and named inventor on five U.S. patents, Kurt built his career in Illinois manufacturing — starting at small-business Continental Datalabel out of school, developing precision equipment at Illinois Tool Works, and helping build his family's PIRTEK business in Elk Grove Village.
At Exact Panel Works, he pairs automated CNC fabrication and material-optimization technology with a commitment to local jobs, delivering precision facade systems for schools, civic buildings, and housing from a 30,000-square-foot Chicagoland facility.
Our Story
Built to Solve a Real Problem and Grow Fast Doing It.
Exact Panel Works opened its doors in August 2022 in Palatine, Illinois, with a simple goal: bring cladding fabrication closer to the job site.
Off-site fabrication saves time on the critical path - once a building is ready for field dimensions, it's ready for cladding installation, and that's exactly when speed matters most.
Growth came quickly. In 2023, EPW expanded to a 20,000-square-foot facility. By 2024, that footprint had grown again to 30,000 square feet, supporting a team of 20 employees and multiple CNC machines running fabrication at roughly 30,000 square feet per week - about 5 minutes per sheet.
EPW was born out of a frustration shared across the industry:
great facade designs held up by slow turnaround, inconsistent quality, and fabricators who were difficult to work with. Founder Kurt Adair built EPW to fix all three - pairing CNC precision with fast lead times and a team that makes every project easier, from first drawing to final pallet.
Today, Exact Panel Works pairs automated CNC fabrication and material-optimization technology with a commitment to delivering precision facade systems for schools, civic buildings, and housing from its Chicagoland facility.
Our Executive Team
Jason Gunder
Operations Manager
Jason leads day-to-day operations at Exact Panel Works, overseeing material ordering, production scheduling, quality control, and shipping to deliver on the company's promise of being on site, on time, and on budget. He brings over 20 years of operations and manufacturing leadership, beginning with 14+ years at Skyline Design, a sustainable glass products manufacturer, where he rose to General Manager, followed by roles as Operations Manager at Stone Systems and Plant Manager at W.M. Dudek Manufacturing before joining EPW. His background spans glass, stone, and metal fabrication, giving him a deep, cross-material understanding of precision manufacturing that translates directly to panel production. Jason holds a degree from The University of Toledo.
Leona Anne Narvaja
Executive Assistant
Leona serves as Executive Assistant to Kurt Adair, managing his calendar, communications, and day-to-day priorities across time zones so he can stay focused on growing Exact Panel Works. She brings a background in administrative operations, customer relations, and logistics coordination, having supported company leaders before joining EPW. Leona is known for her attention to detail, clear communication, and ability to keep complex schedules and projects running smoothly. Outside of work, she's passionate about community outreach, having launched a program supporting children with special needs in her hometown in the Philippines.
Our Facilities
Located in Palatine, Illinois in a state-of-the-art facility with over 30,000 SF of production and storage capacity. Conveniently situated in the greater Chicagoland Market, Illinois is a logistics hub for the fabrication of your next project. With several major railroad terminals within 50 miles of our facility we can efficiently receive full container loads of product, reducing transportation costs. We provide custom fabrication solutions to clients across the entire country..
Get A Quote
Get a quote for your next project in the queue today!
Stop taking the heat for poor fabrication outcomes and instead rest assured that you’ll be on site, on time, and on budget!
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