40-Under-40: Class of 2018

Tyler Alleman
Global Manufacturing Engineering Manager
Certus Automotive
Alleman started in the finishing industry in 2012 as a chemical engineer for Eakas Corp., one of the first people hired for expansion of a chrome plating on plastics line. He was promoted three times over the next several years, eventually becoming Eakas’ plating general supervisor. In 2016, Alleman took a position with Certus, supporting its global manufacturing base. In a five-year span, he has risen from graduate of a rural college to global chief.

Michael Bagwell
Manufacturing Design Engineer
Apple
Bagwell is the person primarily responsible for creating high-performance connector coatings for iPhone and other Apple products. Due largely to his efforts, Apple was able to introduce waterproof iPhones in 2017 with high confidence that the corrosion-resistant coatings applied to both the lightning receptacle and the mating plugs/cables would survive worst-case corrosive-use environments.

“Before Michael got involved, the conventional plating layers used on previous iPhones corroded in wet-charging and wet-use conditions,” says Michael Barnstead, Apple’s senior manufacturing design engineer. “Michael also was lead on implementing the Air Pod plating stack, another program where the plating stack had to withstand moisture under an applied current during charging. He was able to implement high-volume manufacturing processes to apply both of these novel plating stacks, and he also continuously refined and improved both the basic plating layer designs and the manufacturing processes used.”

Christoph Werner, PhD, Apple’s senior manager, SME surface finishing manufacturing design, adds: “He is an expert in precious metal and barrier layer plating. You can wake him up at 4 in the morning and ask him about the best layer combination for your needs, and he will tell you precisely what you need. His passion: make the impossible possible.”

After an internship at Atotech, Bagwell began his professional career running a plating shop for at Technetics Group in a vertically integrated manufacturing facility, plating metal seals for the nuclear, aerospace and chemical industries. He also worked at TE Connectivity in reel-to-reel plating before joining Apple.

“Plating is an exciting world with many challenges that will keep my mind active and learning for a long time to come,” Bagwell says.

“Michael has an innate ability to delineate between the trivial many details and the critical few, and the laser focus to dig deep in to those critical technical details to solve really complex problems quickly,” says Sean Novak, Apple’s senior manager, SME surface finishing. “Michael learns quickly and is able to assimilate his learnings in to new and unique ideas for new challenges.”

Amy Barnard
Head of Information Technology
Therma-Tron-X
Her co-workers say Barnard is a leader whose perseverance in both personal and professional challenges inspires others to want to be more, do more and give more. She holds degrees in biomedical engineering and is the first female in three generations to step into the nearly 50-year-old family-owned business. As head of IT, Barnard and her team develop and maintain customized solutions for TTX’s ever-growing technology needs. The company says she is an enthusiastic, innovative designer, and her broad range of skills offers TTX options in the technology world that most companies of its size can’t even imagine, let alone execute.

Antonio Beniquez
Engineering Manager
Mighty Hook
Beniquez moved to Chicago from Puerto Rico as a child and later studied mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois’ Chicago campus. He began designing below-the-chain conveyor tooling and paint-masking products at Mighty Hook and now leads a team of five engineering professionals focused on providing cost-effective, functional and innovative material-handling solutions. Beniquez is also a gallery-represented street artist who has made waves in the Midwest art scene with his signature modern calligraphy aesthetics.

Bill Brecher
Southeastern Sales Engineer
Fischer Technology
Brecher spent five years in the portable x-ray fluorescence instrumentation industry before joining Fischer Technology in 2017 as sales engineer for the southeastern U.S. He says he quickly developed a passion for providing solutions to customers for coating measurement applications, and the company attests to his tremendous enthusiasm, technical knowledge and strong determination to support his customer base. Recent projects have led Brecher to provide solutions for in-process coating thickness analysis.

Jennifer Breetz
Materials Engineer
Curtiss-Wright IMR Test Labs
Breetz has been involved in coatings analysis, testing and research throughout most of her career at both Toyota and IMR Test Labs, a business unit of Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in materials science and engineering, and early in her career worked in the quality department at Toyota’s North American Manufacturing headquarters, interfacing with the metals and chemicals groups. She has been with IMR Test Labs since 2011, where she has further expanded her knowledge of metallurgical properties and anti-corrosion processes such as sealers, coatings and plating.

Steve Byron
Technical Project Specialist
Coral Chemical
Byron’s roots in finishing began at a family-owned powder coating shop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where his father grew the company’s reputation as the premier shop in the area. Naturally, Byron was never too young to learn the business. Earning a chemistry degree from the University of Wisconsin and preprogramed for the finishing industry, he explored a laboratory position at Coral Chemical and has since advanced to R&D and technical service roles for pretreatment.

Jessica Crespo
Office Manager
Seminole Metal Finishing
Crespo started as a part-time secretary while attending college, and soon graduated with a business and master’s degree. Her colleagues say she has made herself an invaluable employee by learning all the ins and outs of the metal finishing business. From knowing many customer specifications off the top of her head to running the daily operation of the office and shipping and receiving department, company officials say it is rare to find an employee who goes the extra mile, as Crespo does.

Shivie Dhillon
President
Sundial Powder Coating
Dhillon has been around powder coating since he was 8, growing up in Southern California. Over the past 26 years, he has been known to have invested countless hours learning the people, the business and the industry. “Shivie is an influencer in both the local and national finishing scene,” says Ron Lum of Cortal Chemicals. “He also volunteers to help and support various industry organizations and committees.” Dhillon has been a national board member and or committee chair within both the Powder Coating Institute and Chemical Coaters Association International. Locally, he provides support for the SoCal chapter of the CCAI and has been named user of the year for six years in a row.

“Having taken over the operations of a family business, then expanding and starting a second custom coating business, he is true entrepreneur,” says Stephen Walters, CEO of Chicago’s Progressive Coating.

In Sundial, Dhillon has built a shop that also services the military and architects like Frank Gehry. “The future is architecture and automotive,” he says. “Both very demanding industries in quality and performance.”

Dave Gasparovich
Business Development Manager
MacDermid Enthone
Gasparovich’s passion and leadership for the industry could be considered unmatched for a man his age. At 33, he already has served as the Chicago Surface Finishing Foundation president from 2014 to 2017 and as vice president for the last two. He has also completed three pro-bono strategy consulting projects for Chicago area non-profits. During his time at MacDermid Enthone, Gasparovich also has had a successful career in sales and was promoted to business development manager in 2016, having quickly established himself as an expert for the industries he serves and a sought-after public speaker.

George Gatto Jr.
President
Gatto Industrial Platers
Growing up, Gatto had little interest in the family business after working odd-jobs at the company during high school. He pursued a business degree and a commercial real estate career, but in 2011 after some encouraging words from friends in the industry, he returned to assist his father with daily operations. In 2016, Gatto took over as president and his business plan includes driving growth by improving customer service, spreading awareness of the company’s unique capabilities outside of the Chicago area. Robert Swanson, the shop’s vice president, says Gatto has exhibited outstanding intelligent leadership qualities through personal integrity, vision, and a passion to build upon the strong foundation of the established company.

Tyler Goad
Operations Manager
Goad Co.
Goad began working at his family’s company seven years ago and has served as its operations manager for the past three. His energy and enthusiasm for learning has helped him lead many of the company’s product innovations, improvements and efficiencies. The company says Goad is unafraid to take on challenges and new responsibilities, and will confront issues or problems as required. His staff says he has a can-do, never-fail attitude and has developed a strong passion for the surface finishing industry.

Rich Held
Laboratory Manager
Haviland Products
Haviland’s marketing manager, John Bereza, says Held “is a detective at his core; he diligently works to understand the whys and hows of a problem, moving precisely from root cause through to solution.” Held started working at Haviland in 2014 as an R&D chemist, developing new products and processes for the company while earning his MSF certification. He quickly rose to research manager and was promoted in 2017 to laboratory manager, overseeing all lab activities. The company says Held also has become a vital asset in the field, supporting Haviland’s customers alongside the sales and technical groups.

Zach Henry
Production Manager
ChromeTech of Wisconsin
Henry says his infatuation with finishing started when he was just 2, sitting on his father’s lap moving tanks into position for new hoist lines. He became knowledgeable about the industry from years of hands-on experience and from his father’s mentoring. In his 20s, he became heavily involved within the company, filling roles from lab manager to plant manager and now production manager. He plans to become a second-generation owner along with his brother, Ross.

Lee Hughes
Research Director
Oklahoma Custom Coating
Serving as the IT director for his company’s two shops since 2002, Hughes leads hardware and software development for the cloud-based management system. He was the first quality manager at Oklahoma Custom Coating and helped it obtain ISO 9001 registration and TACOM approval. Hughes since has taken on the primary role of operations manager, an integral part of the R&D team, and is listed on four U.S. patents.

Eric Janczak
Product Manager/Engineer
Hohman Plating
Janczak joined Hohman as a co-op student and transitioned to a full-time role after receiving his degree in chemical engineering. He has worked in the laboratory and in process engineering, and recently became product manager on the conversion coatings team. Janczak says he had the chance to work with nearly every plating process in some capacity before turning his focus to conversion coatings. He has CEF certification and recently received his MBA.

Christian Kissig
Research Chemist
Columbia Chemical
Kissig is rapidly solidifying his reputation as a rising star in the finishing industry. Having joined Columbia Chemical two years ago as a lab chemist and then moving into his current role of research chemist, his primary work focuses on developing innovative products to enhance the corrosion protection of metal electrodeposits. From passivates and plating baths to topcoats and sealers, Kissig is tasked with helping Columbia Chemical grow through innovation. One of his recent major accomplishments is the development of Columbia’s new trivalent passivates for zinc-nickel alloys.

Kissig is said to be well-respected among his peers for his leadership efforts, is a member of the internal audit committee, and has collaborated on important work regarding ISO certification and renewal. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University and his master’s in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago, where he was an NIH Fellow. Adopted as an infant from Colombia, Kissig and his wife enjoy international travel to visit family when time allows.

Orlin Lainez
Production Supervisor
Georgia Powder Coating
Lainez has been a Georgia Powder Coating team member since 2007, when he started with the company as a production line hanger. Since then, he has worked his way up the ranks to production supervisor, overseeing three operations and more than 60 employees. His innovative ideas have gained efficiencies and resulted in thousands saved, company officials say, adding that Lainez has a servant’s heart and a customer focus not often found in a production setting.

Tyler Lawson
Manager, Technical Laboratory
Asterion
Lawson joined Asterion in 2016 and is considered a skilled analytical chemist. “Since his arrival, Tyler has eagerly embraced all aspects of electrochemistry and has spent countless hours improving his knowledge through research of the literature,” says Blair Vandivier, the company’s president. Lawson was recently promoted to manager of Asterion’s technical laboratory and says he intends to seize every opportunity available to further his electroplating education, as well as implement procedures and practices that lead to the continuous improvement of the lab.

John Lopez Jr.
Quality Assurance Manager
E.M.E.
Hired away from his job as a cook at In-N-Out Burger, Lopez proved himself in customer service, production management and quality control at E.M.E., and then was handed the top position in quality 11 years ago. Lopez is well-respected in the quality community, as he travels to Pittsburgh for Nadcap meetings, and works with and assists prime contractors in the aerospace industry. He is also well-respected outside of his quality-assurance expertise, living in the Compton community in which he works, and having taught and continuing to mentor high school students in his local church.

Edy Maldonado
Plating Team Leader
Surface Technology
Maldonado exercises a calm and confident leadership that the company says has been instrumental to its success and growth, and which is especially challenging as the shop pivots among many traditional and composite electroless nickel coatings for high-end applications. In addition, he has managed this over a recent dynamic period of time during which Surface Technology moved operations to a new much larger facility with all new equipment. The company says the key to Maldonado’s leadership is his genuine care for his work, not to mention working hard.

Marino Manzoli
Vice President
Colourfast Corp.
Manzoli started in the finishing industry at a young age, growing up in a family business and learning the industry through hands-on experience. At 23, he became the operations manager and ascended to partnership status just three years later. Manzoli says he learned business management with practical experience and a fantastic mentor in his father, Joseph. At 29, his staff of 40 now relies on him to keep the wheels of the company turning in the right direction.

Heather Marter
Global Marketing Communications Manager
Axalta Coatings
Marter says her interest in the coatings industry stems from its unique combination of science and aesthetics, and it inspired her to learn more about the evolving technologies that promote the look and longevity of some of her favorite substrates, from architecture like the Philharmonie de Paris to modern furniture and artistic sculptures. She has been with Axalta Coatings Systems since its shift from Dupont in 2013 and in that time has worked with the global industrial segment through six acquisitions to redesign its global product portfolio, marketing strategy and customer experiences. Last year, she completed her MBA in strategic design, and she says she looks forward to applying design thinking techniques to the coatings industry as it continues to engineer technologies that will better serve businesses, designers, the environment and day-to-day life.

Tim Melder
Director of Operations
Durr Systems
Melder has combined his passion for new technologies with his desire to grow in his career, makes the finishing industry a perfect fit. He grew up in Bavaria but says he was fortunate to be selected for several internships in the U.S., where his understanding for automotive manufacturing began to take shape. At Durr, he is responsible for the execution of projects for the application technology section, and says he enjoys providing operational and technical leadership while supervising the staff of project and site managers.

Mindie Meyer
Customer Service Manager
TWF Industries
Meyer has been at TWF Industries for just five years but already has been promoted from administrative assistant to customer service manager, responsible for scheduling of production. Company officials say they continuously receive compliments about how great Meyer is to work with and about her positive demeanor.

Amanda Moore
Marketing Manager
Goyer Management
Moore’s finishing career began at a young age when she started working industry events that were managed by Goyer Management International, her parents’ company. After receiving a marketing degree from the University of Notre Dame, she returned to work at GMI, providing marketing services for the Chemical Coaters Association International, the Industrial Heating Equipment Association, the Powder Coating Institute and the Finishing Pavilion at Fabtech. This includes developing and implementing marketing and social media campaigns for GMI clients and all their events and products. She says growing up in it has given her an appreciation for working with people that genuinely care about the industry.

Caleb Morrison
WRC Business Development Manager
Atotech USA
Morrison started his career path at Atotech USA seven years ago, specializing in developing wear-resistant coatings with an emphasis on construction and agriculture. He began with technical application, but quickly rose to managing the sales and implementation of new technology, helping to grow the productivity and sustainability of the metal finishing industry. Morrison currently works closely with top heavy-equipment manufacturers, governmental agencies and local applicators to cultivate safer solutions such as functional trivalent chrome and non- perfluorooctane sulfonate mist suppressants. Located in Missouri, he looks to continue his passion for surface finishing when he is not active with family, softball or bowling.

Dr. Catherine Munson
Research Chemist
Chemeon Surface Technology
A graduate of Colorado State and Michigan State universities, Dr. Munson is an expert in trivalent zirconate chemistries and has had an immediate impact on Chemeon’s core competency, says Dr. Sjon Westre, the company’s vice president of technology. “In the short time she has been with us, she has already helped us develop several patentable and patent-pending products,” he says. Dr. Munson was a key member of the team that conducted a recent study and subsequent paper on Chemeon TCP (hexavalent-free) as an anodic seal to replace sodium dichromate/dilute chrome seals. Her 2017 PhD dissertation, “Electrochemical and Material Characterization of a TCP Conversion Coating on Aluminum Alloy 7075-T6,” studies the application mechanisms and efficacy of TCP conversion coatings. She is currently leading product research and development at Chemeon, working to provide new and improved light-metal coating systems to customers around the world.

John Pilkington
General Manager
Pilkington Metal Finishing
Employees say Pilkington is a master at working across departments, leading multiple functions, and designing and implementing multiple specialty disciplines. They also say he has excellent experience in finance, leading personnel and leading projects. Some of his accomplishments include developing a top-notch customer service department, and implementing lean manufacturing techniques, weekly trainings and a five-step standards methodology. All these endeavors have culminated in increased productivity, streamlining of processes and increased satisfaction rates among major stakeholders and customers.

Matt Raskin
General Manager
Plating Technology
Raskin began his career in research and development, moved into quality management, and now serves as the company’s general manager. By integrating automated input built directly into company processes, he has enhanced communication through advanced interaction between management, operations and analytical laboratories. Raskin is said to have an innate love for all things technology and to share his passion with everyone in the company. He has instituted new systems in virtually all phases of the business, from online quoting to measuring efficiencies in production.

John Ross
Automotive Regional Sales Manager
Sames Kremlin
Ross worked in the golf and finance industries after college before moving into finishing three years ago. Since then, he has gained exposure to both automatic and manual paint applications, as well as high-viscosity sealer systems. His primary focus is promoting and supporting the Sames Kremlin product line in the automotive and aerospace industries in southeast Michigan, Ohio and California, as well as with Ford, General Motors, Honda, Tesla and various customers in the aerospace industry.

Wes Schmitt
Compliant Chemistry Director
Pavco
Schmitt is rising star within Pavco and the metal finishing industry. After graduating with a chemical engineering degree from Purdue University, he found success working directly within finishing operations at large-scale manufacturers. Schmitt then transitioned to the supply side of the metal finishing industry with his hire into Pavco in 2014 in a technical service position, quickly becoming a leader within the department for his ability to comprehensively grasp technologies, effectively work with customers and help with crucial management initiatives. Schmitt was promoted to global OEM manager and now works directly with major manufactures globally to serve their compliant chemistry needs.

Kate Schwab
Director of Quality & Process Development
Automated Coatings
With a chemistry degree, no experience and an interest in metal finishing, Schwab began her career at Automated Coatings in 2008, performing solution analysis. After quickly establishing herself, however, she became the quality manager and has since overhauled the entire department, managed the launch of a new enterprise resource planning system, overseen line expansions, implemented new finishing processes, acquired new OEM approvals and achieved Nadcap supplier merit. With a passion for strategic process improvement, she is seen as always eager for new challenges.

Dishant Tailor
Director of Quality
Arlington Plating
Tailor earned his master’s degree in chemistry from Illinois State University and for five years worked at Flex-N-Gate Corp., where his team worked to extend bath life through optimized treatments, lead waste and chemical cost-reduction projects, and continuously improve line efficiency and overall yield. He later joined APC as a process engineer and there is said to demonstrate a practical and methodical approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement, and be knowledgeable in nickel chrome plating and the functional characteristics of the deposited coating. Tailor was quickly promoted to director of quality, helping APC to further develop its internal quality systems and to interface with top customers on a regular basis.

Bryan Thrasher
Controller
Coventya
Thrasher has established himself as a leader within the Coventya Group by effectively managing the day-to-day operations of its finance department, and through his key contributions and leadership in several strategic management groups within Coventya’s operations in the U.S., Mexico and southeast Asia. He is an active member of both the Ohio Association of Metal Finishers and National Association for Surface Finishing, and was elected to participate in Coventya’s LEAD program, an advanced management training program held for a very select group of high-potential managers within the global organization.

Thrasher was promoted to controller in 2013, where his primary responsibilities are to manage finance, accounting and administrative departments, projects and personnel. He earned his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Ashland University’s Dauch College of Economics and Business, and also excelled on the field as a key member of the Ashland Eagles baseball team. He and wife Holly have two children: daughter Jocelyn and son Mason.

Joseph Tilton
Vice President
Tilton Rack & Basket
Tilton is a third-generation owner/operator whose sunny personality and can-do spirit seems to make him appreciated by all. He is a mainstay at all Masters’ Association of Metal Finishers meetings and events, and is a member of its board, having also served as president and vice president. He also has a business management degree from Seton Hall.

Eric Turner
Vice President
Houston Plating and Coatings
While in college completing his business degree, Turner landed a part-time job at Houston Plating and Coatings as a forklift operator. Intrigued by the challenges of the metal finishing industry, he eventually entered an HPC training program, spending time in virtually every production department. His certification as a NACE Certified Coating Inspector, Level 3, enhanced his technical skills for a new role as quality manager. In 2014, Turner was promoted to vice president, and in 2016 he also was appointed COO.

Rebecca Tussey
Account Manager
Air Power
Tussey says she found her perfect fit working in industrial sales after graduating from the University of North Carolina in 2007. Starting in outside sales with an abrasives manufacturer turned into finding her passion as an account manager with Air Power. She says she has been able to grow her baseline, build lasting relationships with customers and vendors, and sell world-class finishing systems to key accounts within her territory. She is described by her peers as a student of the trade, one who is always willing to continually learn and grow her knowledge. Her customers describe her as a true professional, one with a methodical approach and upbeat attitude.

Enrique Valentin
Application Engineer/Latin America Sales Manager
American Plating Power
Valentin is one of those individuals who is considered hard to define: trained as an electrical technician, he has worked in many positions during his six years at APP. From customer service to technical trainer to field technician to applications engineer to production manager to Latin American sales manager, “Ricky” has worn many hats. The company says his versatility and outgoing personality makes him an invaluable asset to his many customers. Through this broad experience, keen insight and natural can-do attitude, Valentin provides customers with custom solutions utilizing modern DC power supply technology.