Alder Creek Beverages

An Alder Creek CNC operator’s journey from shop floor to General Manager

The Story

Michael McKinney started his career at 18 as a CNC machine operator and was mentored by some of the best. He found his passion fixing and improving things, and over the years, he moved through maintenance, production, and plant leadership. He now oversees high-speed automated beverage lines and its team as the General Manager role at Alder Creek Beverages.

"That's where I found my passion — fixing, improving, bridging the gap between maintenance and operations." — Michael McKinney, General Manager, Alder Creek Beverages

Michael leads with the credibility of someone who came up through the trades. He understands the work because he's done it, and that shapes how he manages the team around him.

Leadership Philosophy

Stay curious, not just current

Michael encourages his team to shadow automation engineers, learn new PLC functions, and pursue knowledge outside their immediate role the same way he does.

Bridge the gap between maintenance and operations

Having come up through the trades, Michael breaks down silos through empathetic leadership and a genuine respect for what every department contributes.

"I may never be an expert in every area — but if my team's doing something smart, I want to know how and why."

UpKeep Certification

UpKeep Certified — a deliberate investment, not a checkbox

Michael pursued UpKeep Certification because he believes maintenance leaders need credentials that reflect the tools their teams actually use. In a field where technology changes constantly, staying relevant means learning alongside your team. The certification gave him structured frameworks that reinforce what he already knew from the floor: technology should enable people, not replace them.

"Technology is ever-changing. The ability to learn constantly is the most important trait in a maintenance leader."

About Alder Creek

Alder Creek Beverages is a bottled spring water producer based in Forestport, New York, operating a vertically integrated facility on 1,700 acres in Boonville near the Adirondack Mountains. The property sits atop two of the largest aquifers in the northeastern United States, with water flowing directly from ice-age springs to the bottling line. Acquired by Nirvana Water Sciences in 2023, Alder Creek continues to operate as the production home of Nirvana Spring Water. Michael McKinney serves as General Manager and provided the insights behind this case study.

Become UpKeep Certified like Michael and future-proof your career