Most people never think about the engineering behind the food they eat or the technology behind a memorable community celebration. Noah Zastrow ('21) has built a career around both. As a project manager at Loos Machine & Automation, Zastrow leads engineering projects that help manufacturers automate production, improve workplace safety and solve workforce challenges. Outside of engineering, he coaches aspiring pole vaulters, works in aerial videography and founded SkyFlux Drone Shows, which brings large-scale aerial performances to communities across Wisconsin. The synchronized drone shows offer a reusable, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fireworks while creating more inclusive celebrations for people who can't enjoy loud pyrotechnic displays.
Whether he's designing automated production systems, choreographing more than 100 drones into the night sky or coaching young athletes, Zastrow is driven by finding creative ways to improve people's lives. Growing up in Spencer, Wisconsin, attending UW-Stout felt like a natural choice. His father had attended the university, he wanted to study mechanical engineering and the Blue Devils gave him the opportunity to continue competing in track and field.
Among the experiences that prepared him most were machining and fabrication courses, where students learned by building rather than simply studying concepts. His senior capstone project challenged his team to design and construct a wind tunnel that connected to an existing testing system for evaluating airfoils. Outside the classroom, some of Noah's most meaningful experiences came as a member of the Blue Devils track and field team, where he competed in pole vault and long jump while forming friendships that have lasted well beyond graduation.
His passion for pole vaulting continued after college. Together with his father, Zastrow founded the Wisconsin Pole Vault Club shortly after graduating from UW-Stout Polytechnic. What began as a place for him to continue training quickly became a resource for young athletes throughout central Wisconsin who lacked access to pole vault coaching and facilities.
Today, the club serves 50 to 60 athletes each year, from middle school students to collegiate competitors. For Zastrow, the greatest reward comes from watching athletes grow over time. "We had one athlete who started with us in seventh grade and ended up winning the state championship as a senior," he said. "It's really rewarding to see that whole journey from beginning to end."
After earning his mechanical engineering degree, Zastrow joined Loos Machine & Automation, where he had previously interned. In just a few years, he advanced from mechanical design engineer to project engineer before recently being promoted to project manager. His work centers on designing automation systems for food manufacturers across the country, helping companies produce food more efficiently while improving working conditions for employees.
One recent project helped a manufacturer address ongoing workforce shortages in repetitive production roles. Rather than replacing workers, the automated system allowed employees to move into other positions while robotics took over repetitive tasks that often lead to fatigue and workplace injuries. The customer is expected to double its production capacity while also reducing downtime through built-in redundancy across multiple production lines.
"We're helping companies produce more while also making jobs better for the people working there," Zastrow said.
Seeing those facilities firsthand has given him a new perspective on engineering. "When you're there at a plant and you see all the food coming off the machines you've helped design, it really puts it into perspective how many people you're helping feed," he said.
Outside of work, Zastrow found another way to blend creativity and technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zastrow earned his FAA drone license and began filming aerial real estate photography and video. That interest eventually expanded into wedding filmmaking, commercial media production through Vanguard Media House and, most recently, SkyFlux Drone Shows.
Launched earlier this year, SkyFlux Drone Shows is among only a handful of companies in Wisconsin producing synchronized drone light shows. Each performance requires up to 50 hours of planning and animation, combining engineering, aviation, computer programming and visual storytelling into a single experience.
For Zastrow, drone shows are about making celebrations and experiences available to more people. At one Fourth of July celebration, families approached him to say they could finally attend a community Independence Day event because the quieter drone show was more accessible for a veteran living with PTSD and a child with autism. The shows also eliminate the smoke, debris and waste associated with traditional fireworks.
"I think eventually you'll have more people who can enjoy these events," he said. "You arrive, put on the show and leave. You couldn't even tell we were there."
For Zastrow, the drone shows bring together many of the interests and skills he's developed throughout his career. "The drone shows are almost a culmination of everything," he said. "They combine the creative side with the technical engineering side. It all comes together."
He's already looking ahead to the next challenge, designing and building his own drones using 3D printing and his engineering expertise. That same hands-on mindset is what he encourages current students to embrace.
"Take as many hands-on classes as you can," he said. "That's what really sets UW-Stout apart."
