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ISO 9001 certification

ISO Certification

At Creative Engineers Inc., we are proud to be ISO 9001 certified, demonstrating our commitment to quality management, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. This certification reflects our dedication to delivering reliable engineering solutions that meet international standards and exceed client expectations.

Our Leaders

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.

Richard VanLieshout

President

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!

Kevin Berry

Founder 

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.

Alex VanLieshout

Vice President

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.

Jared Gordon

Engineering Manager

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.

Jason Wenschhof

Plant Manager

Get to know us

Creative Engineers, Inc. (CEI) is an industry leader in chemical process engineering, with a specialized focus on alkali metals, performance metals, and specialty chemical systems. With decades of hands-on experience, our engineers design, build, and optimize complex chemical processes that operate under some of the most challenging conditions, including high temperatures, reactive environments, and liquid metal handling.

We are known for turning difficult ideas into workable solutions. From lab-scale setups to full-scale production systems, CEI provides end-to-end support: process development, custom equipment design, safety reviews, pilot testing, and commissioning.

Mechanical Engineer

Don Finnerty

  • Mechanical drawings

  • Stress analysis

  • Equipment design

Chemical Engineer

Brian Hoffman

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  • Data analysis

  • Laboratory techniques

  • Analytical chemistry

Chemical Technician

Ryan Ketphanh

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  • Chemical production

  • Fabrication support

  • Chemical operations

Sr. Chemical Engineer

Josh Marteny

  • Process design

  • Project management

  • Electromagnetic equipment

  • Alkali metals

Mechanical Fabricator

Ben Papu

  • Ta welding

  • Inert atmosphere welding

  • MIG welding

  • Equipment assembly

Chemical Engineer

Steve Price

  • Radioactive materials

  • Hands-on engineering

  • ISO documentation

  • P&IDs

Sr. Chemical Engineer

Diana Rodd

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  • Rare Earth Metals

  • Research & Development

  • Metal salts reduction

  • Process scale-up

Mechanical Fabricator

Brandon Sheffer

  • Stick welding

  • Chemicals production

  • System install

Executive Assistant

Debee Sommer

  • HAZMAT shipping

  • Orders

  • Logistics

  • Administrative support

Lead Mechanical Fabricator / Operations

Noah Sutherland

  • Alkali metals hands-on expert

  • SS welding

  • Skid systems

Sr. Chemical Engineer

Grant Wooten

  • Process Hazard Analysis 

  • Highly hazardous materials handling

  • Flammable and combustible process design

  • Process instrumentation

OUR TEAM

Company Values

INTEGRITY

Employees will conduct business with all stakeholders in an honest manner and uphold strong moral principles.

COMMUNITY

Employees will pay attention to everyone’s safety and success and support one another to provide the best service to our clients.

SOLUTIONS

Employees will strive to present solution(s) with every problem identified.

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