ENVOLVE ENGINEERING - Key Persons
Deron holds a B.S. in Interior Design and Housing from Indiana State University, which has served him well in the ergonomics of appliance design. Drach has more than 20 years of experience in mechanical design of metal and plastic parts, and collaborative large assembly management.
Deron is an avid hunter and fisherman, he and his family are active in the community through several organizations that focus on nature conservancy and responsible use of natural resources.
Job Titles:
- Engineering Technical Lead / Principal
Garett has 16 years of engineering project delivery and leadership experience. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota in August of 1999, with a BSIT/ME (Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Emphasis). He is also trained in Six-Sigma Methodology.
After graduation, Garett began work as a Mechanical Design Engineer working in the appliance industry for Whirlpool Corporation. While in that role, Garett designed numerous structural handle systems, sheet metal doors, and ice-dispensing systems used on refrigerators. Throughout his career at Whirlpool, he progressed from an entry level engineer tracking product development testing; to a Senior Design Engineer, developing dispensing systems. In 2011, Strandemo was named North American Regional Technology Leader for Ice and Water Development.
Garett was the Lead Engineer for the first global ice and water dispenser that was used in both Europe and North America. His design improved quality by 20,000ppm and reduced cost by 30%.
Garett is listed as an inventor on multiple patents along with others still pending. His personal interests are: weightlifting, hunting, boating, motorcycles, and cars.
Job Titles:
- Staff Engineer / Principal
Greg has 28 years of engineering experience. He graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Evansville.
After graduation, he began work as a Mechanical Engineer for Whirlpool Corporation in Evansville, IN for their Refrigeration Design Group. His initial position in that role was Electro-Mechanical Components Engineer. His responsibilities included the design and application of components including fan motors, defrost timers, compressors, evaporators and condensers. His next assignment was in the Fort Smith, Arkansas Refrigeration manufacturing plant as a Quality Engineer.
Upon the completion of his Arkansas assignment, he returned to Evansville, where he spent 15 years leading design teams and the development of multiple ice and water dispensing systems for the Side by Side and Top Freezer platforms. One of the most interesting design programs he was involved with was the "In Door Ice" system that set a new standard in the industry by providing the consumer with a significant increase in usable freezer volume on the Side by Side platform.
In 2005, he was named the North American Technical Leader for Ice and Water systems where he was responsible for mentoring other engineers and oversight of all new designs. From 2008 until his departure from Whirlpool in June of 2013, Greg served as the Global Ice and Water Technology Advantage Leader. In this role, his team was responsible for the inception and development up to the commercialization decision for all new designs.
Greg is listed as an inventor on 16 patents. His hobbies are golf, camping and traveling with his wife Sherry.
Matthew is a 2005 graduate of the University of Evansville, where he earned a Bachelor's of Science/Mechanical Engineering degree.
Hartmann joined Envolve Engineering in July of 2013, as Senior Engineer. His area of emphasis includes design, testing, and implementation of ice and water components and assemblies.
Prior to his work at Envolve, Hartmann served as a Senior Engineer at Whirlpool Corporation. He served in that capacity for 10 years, working primarily in the ice and water department with focus on design and implementation of new ice and water systems.
Outside of the office, Matthew enjoys raising his three children and going to their activities; hanging out with family and friends, and outdoor activities such as golf, softball and running.
Job Titles:
- Engineering Manager
- Principal
Mike has 25 years of engineering experience. He graduated in 1990 with a BSEE from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) and received his Master's in Engineering in 1998, also from Purdue University. He was certified by the American Society of Quality (ASQ) as a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE). He is also certified in Six-Sigma methodology.
After graduation, he began work as an Electrical Engineer working with various companies engaged in heavy equipment and ground transportation. He designed the passenger rail communication and entertainment systems utilized by CALTRANS and AMTRAK sleeper cars, while employed by BE Aerospace; as well as various other entertainment and public address systems utilized by other passenger bus, coach and rail lines.
In 1996, Mike joined truck and engine manufacturer, Navistar International, as a senior engineer for anti-lock and electronic braking systems (ABS/EBS). He was promoted to a Project Reliability Engineer after receiving CQE certification. He was eventually promoted to Electrical Chassis and ABS Manager responsible for development of powertrain and braking components.
Mike joined Whirlpool Corporation in 2000 in the capacity of global controls and electronics manager. While in this role, Mike was an ex-pat for one year in Joinville, Brazil, where he launched a controls and electronics organization focused solely on serving North American and European markets. He also established Whirlpool's first globally compatible controls and electronics architecture.
Nick is a seasoned electronics engineer with experience in circuit design, testing, firmware development, and product design. He joined the Envolve Engineering team in June of 2017 as a Software Development Intern and has since advanced to become the lead electronics engineer.
Nick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from the University of Southern Indiana, where he specialized in electrical and computer engineering. He also has a background in structures and a passion for computer science that has been evident from a young age.
In his role at Envolve Engineering, Nick brings his expertise in electronics to the forefront, where he spends his days designing circuit boards, writing software, and conducting tests.
In his free time, Nick enjoys cooking, reading, and spending quality time with his family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Engineering Technical Lead / Principal
Pat has 20 years of engineering experience. He graduated in 1995 with a BSME from Purdue University (Indianapolis, IN) and received his MBA in 2000, from Southern Illinois University. Pat spent the latter part of his studies working in cooperation with universities and industry in an effort to merge classroom lessons with hands-on experience. He did this as a Design Engineer at BE Aerospace in Longwood, Florida and as a Facilities/Equipment Engineer at Cresline Plastics in Henderson, KY.
After finishing his undergraduate degree, Pat worked as a Mechanical Engineer in the trucking industry at Navistar International. He then moved into the appliance industry, working for Maytag Laundry Products. Pat led various projects for wash system platforms, redesigning plastic tubs and baskets, exterior metal cabinetry and fluid delivery systems for washing machines. Later, he designed, prototyped and tested high-speed suspensions for vertical axis washers.
Pat Joined Whirlpool in 1999, working as a Component Value Engineer within the procurement group. He managed a group of injection mold suppliers to drive down cost and increase quality. He represented Whirlpool as the technical voice on multiple supplier audits. One of his key accomplishments in procurement involved a multi-million dollar annual saving by leveraging the cost of standard resins against newly approved alternates.
In 2002, Pat moved to product design in the ice and water subsystem group. He redesigned the water system for side-by-side refrigerators to increase water flow by a factor of two. He incorporated electronics into the valve system, which allowed for measured water flow at the dispenser. Pat and his team successfully supported multiple product launches for dispenser and door redesign. The design was incorporated into all major Whirlpool branded products under the project name of Niagara.
Pat continued his focus in ice and water system through 2012. He redesigned the dispenser to allow for unique features, including a flush dispenser module applied to all door types. He also led redesign efforts for side-by-side products to integrate Maytag branded product, after Whirlpool acquired Maytag in 2005.
Pat finished his last three years at Whirlpool in the Advanced Development Group, where he designed and prototyped mechanisms for beverage enablement technologies. He also led the development of an icemaker to achieve new-to-market performance characteristics addressing energy, ice quality and ice production rate.
Pat is listed as an inventor on more than 15 patents. His hobbies include youth development and athletics. He has been an active coach for football and wrestling for the past eight years and is a strong supporter of Mater Dei High School and its feeder school programs.