James earned a BS in Industrial engineering from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993 and an MBA from Wayne State College in 2022. He joined Behlen in 2019 as Team Leader in the A.I.M. continuous improvement department.  In 2021, he transitioned to General Manager of the Behlen Joiner Business Unit and in 2025 became President of the Behlen Joiner and Behlen Custom Fabrication Business Units.