President

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Richard VanLieshout

Rich has over 40 years of experience in the chemical industry, spanning various functional areas such as business management, process engineering, project engineering, maintenance, product development, operations, EH&S, and plant management. He has worked in industries including plastics, pigments, defoamers, specialty chemicals, specialty metals, minerals, and environmental remediation. Rich's diverse background is his greatest strength, allowing him to bring new ideas to the table and question the status quo. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. In his spare time, Rich enjoys skiing, biking, sailing, and tennis.

Founder 

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Kevin Berry

Kevin has proven himself an expert in the handling and use of sodium, potassium, lithium, and NaK. Kevin has over 50 years of engineering experience and over 45 years of experience handling sodium, potassium and NaK. Kevin may just be the most experienced person available to assist in this very specialized area of chemical processing. Having worked with many unit ops, Kevin also has a great deal of experience in the area of specialty-chemical batch processing. Strong powers of observation have enabled Kevin to quickly spot areas of improvement for many clients. Kevin is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. In Kevin’s spare time, you’ll find him with his pride and joys - five grandsons!

Vice President - Business Operations

Alex VanLieshout

Alex is the second generation to start working in the family business. Alex has been with Creative for 5 years now, learning all he can about process engineering, piping and instrumentation diagrams, and 3D modeling of piping systems and custom apparatuses. To go along with Alex's engineering abilities he is taking over business management for the company as well. Alex has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and is in the process of obtaining his Professional Engineer certification. In his spare time, Alex enjoys racing dirt bikes, and being outdoors.

Vice President- Process Engineering

Jared Gordon

Jared has been working hands on with the alkali metals from day one at CEI, over 8 years ago. Jared has experience working on every aspect of various chemical processing projects from R&D scale to plant and production scale. Over his career so far, Jared has had a heavy focus in process engineering, project management,  and process design work. Overall, Jared has worked in the chemical industry for 10 years with additional experiences in commissioning, EH&S, and operations. Jared is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.

In his spare time Jared enjoys fishing, playing video games, and enjoying family time.

Plant Manager

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Jason Wenschhof

Bringing almost a decade of expertise to the CEI team, Jason has been instrumental in transforming the fabrication/manufacturing department into a powerhouse of efficiency and skill. With over 25 years of hands-on experience in fabrication and management, Jason's journey has taken him across the nation, tackling complex projects along the way. Known for his versatility and knack for problem-solving, Jason's broad background equips him to conquer any challenge that comes his way. In addition to his practical experience, Jason received a certificate from Penn State University for Mechanical Skills Training. In his time off, Jason enjoys the exhilaration of drag racing and the freedom of motorcycle rides.