Todd Kassal of Illinois: How a Project Manager at CK RubberTrack Is Using Quantum Computing to Drive Smart Manufacturing

 Todd Kassal of Illinois: How a Project Manager at CK RubberTrack Is Using Quantum Computing to Drive Smart Manufacturing

Harnessing Tomorrow’s Technology to Solve Today’s Production, Supply Chain, and Logistics Challenges

In the flatlands of Illinois, where the rhythm of industry hums through warehouses and machines carve precision into raw materials, Todd Kassal is quietly steering CK RubberTrack into the future. As a seasoned Project Manager, Kassal is not only orchestrating complex operational systems—he’s integrating quantum computing principles into everyday decision-making.

Not science fiction. Not theory. Real-world application. For Kassal, quantum computing isn’t about reinventing manufacturing—it’s about upgrading it.

At CK RubberTrack, a company known for producing high-performance rubber tracks used in construction, agriculture, and industrial equipment, margins are tight and timing is everything. From managing volatile global supply chains to aligning workforce schedules with machine capacity, Kassal has introduced quantum-inspired optimization techniques to gain the kind of edge that separates responsive businesses from reactive ones.

Quantum Computing: A Tool for Real Problems

Let’s be clear—Kassal isn’t plugging into a cryogenic quantum computer. Instead, he’s leveraging quantum-inspired algorithms, a class of software tools that mimic the logic of quantum systems to solve exceptionally complex problems on traditional hardware.

Think of it as applying the logic of quantum mechanics—like superposition and entanglement—to optimize real business challenges: scheduling, logistics, forecasting, and materials management.

“These tools help us model what was previously unmanageable,” Kassal says. “We’re talking about thousands of variables, dependencies, and constraints. With quantum-inspired systems, we can test multiple possibilities in parallel and find the best path forward.”

A New Era of Forecasting and Inventory Precision

One of Kassal’s early wins came from overhauling CK RubberTrack’s demand forecasting system. Previously, like many manufacturers, the company leaned heavily on past data—what sold last year, seasonality trends, and customer purchase history.

But what happens when those patterns break down? Supply chain disruptions, inflation, labor shortages, or wild weather can all throw off even the most careful forecasts.

Using quantum-enhanced predictive modeling, Kassal introduced a system that digests a far richer dataset: regional construction activity, commodity pricing, lead times, customer order behaviors, and even environmental signals. The result?

• • Forecast accuracy improved by 34%
• • Overstock reduced by 21%
• • Product availability during peak periods increased by 19%

“We’ve moved from static assumptions to dynamic intelligence,” Kassal notes. “That’s the shift.”

Solving the Supply Chain Puzzle

Rubber tracks may look rugged and straightforward, but the components that go into them come from all over the globe. And as the pandemic and geopolitical tensions have proven, global supply chains are fragile.

Kassal used quantum-inspired route optimization models to rethink how CK RubberTrack sourced materials and moved product. These models evaluate hundreds of possible supply paths in real time, balancing:

• • Cost
• • Time
• • Risk exposure
• • Supplier reliability
• • Tariffs and trade constraints

When a key European supplier experienced shipping delays, Kassal’s system was able to model the impact of alternate suppliers in Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the U.S.—along with real-time freight cost analysis.

The result: a seamless pivot with minimal disruption and significant cost avoidance.

“Quantum computing didn’t just help us react faster,” he explains. “It helped us model smarter options before the crisis even hit.”

Manufacturing Agility at the Speed of Change

Kassal’s efforts didn’t stop at logistics. He also tackled the production floor, where schedule conflicts, machine downtime, and shift overlaps can snowball into serious inefficiencies.

Traditional scheduling tools are linear—they plan sequentially. But modern manufacturing is dynamic. Kassal implemented a quantum annealing-inspired scheduling system, which considers hundreds of constraints and objectives simultaneously and recalculates on the fly.

This upgrade delivered:

• • A 26% increase in production efficiency
• • 41% reduction in scheduling conflicts
• • Faster order turnaround, with fewer last-minute changes

“It’s like playing 3D chess with a thousand moving pieces,” he says. “Except now, we actually win more of the time.”

Human-Centered Tech: Making Quantum Practical

Introducing futuristic technology into a manufacturing setting is never just about the tech—it’s about the people. Kassal made a point to roll out new systems in collaborative waves, gathering feedback, running pilots, and simplifying interfaces so that teams could actually understand what was happening behind the dashboard.

“This isn’t about replacing people—it’s about empowering them,” Kassal says. “We built tools that answer questions our teams already have, just faster and with more clarity.”

He led workshops with line managers, trained procurement staff on scenario modeling, and worked with IT to ensure data pipelines remained secure and scalable. That hands-on leadership turned curiosity into confidence—and transformed skepticism into results.

What’s Next: Smarter Materials Through Quantum Simulation

Looking forward, Kassal is already exploring the next frontier: using quantum computing to simulate new rubber compound behaviors before physical testing.

With the right simulation tools, his team could model how rubber mixtures react to pressure, heat, and friction—shaving weeks off the R&D process and producing better products faster.

This could mean:

• • Custom tracks designed for specific soil types or climates
• • Longer-lasting materials for heavy industrial use
• • More sustainable compounds using recycled inputs

“Material innovation is where we can really leap ahead,” Kassal explains. “And quantum modeling might just be the fuel that powers that leap.”

A Model for Midwestern Innovation

Todd Kassal isn’t a theorist in a lab or a VC-backed founder in Silicon Valley. He’s a project manager in Illinois—deep in the heart of traditional manufacturing—who’s using emerging technology with purpose and precision.

His work proves that quantum computing isn’t limited to research institutions. It’s already reshaping real businesses in real time—especially when guided by clear goals and strategic leadership.

At CK RubberTrack, Kassal has taken:

• • Old-school forecasting and turned it into predictive intelligence
• • Fragile supply chains and made them adaptive
• • Factory floor chaos and made it orchestrated
• • And now, he’s aiming at materials science with the same rigor

Final Word

In an industry often labeled “slow to evolve,” Todd Kassal is moving fast—and taking his company with him. With quantum computing as his toolkit and practical results as his metric, Kassal has become a new kind of industrial leader: one who respects tradition but builds the future.

As manufacturing faces increasing pressure to be smarter, leaner, and more adaptive, Kassal’s quantum-informed approach offers a powerful roadmap—not just for CK RubberTrack, but for an entire sector ready to level up.