Leadership

The mission of the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group is to be the global partner of choice for process and environmental compliance needs in the liquid-solid separation and dry particulate filtration markets.

Our Leadership Team is focused on safety, quality, teamwork, innovation, and ethics – as well as speed – to provide our valued customers with the industry’s best Total Engineered Filtration Solutions for their demanding markets and applications from Mining to Chemicals to Steel to Power-Gen and Battery Recycling.

With diverse and complementary skills, Micronics’ leaders truly exemplify leading by example.

Turn to Leadership Perspectives from President and CEO, Chris Cummins, here.

Chris Cummins joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as its President and CEO in April 2020. With 25 years in the global manufacturing industry, his focus has been on driving improved sales growth and operational execution with his teams. He is a strong believer and implementer of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma to eliminate waste, improve productivity, and deliver Best-In-Class customer service while developing a culture of continuous improvement.

Chris is also a Senior Operating Partner for Vance Street Capital and supports multiple investment platforms including Spectra Aerospace and Defense, an Aerospace & Defense technology/C5ISR company, as well as McFarlane Aviation, a General Aviation company that provides FAA-PMA components to the broader aerospace community.  Both companies are owned by Vance Street Capital and Chris provides CEO-coaching, operations & engineering expertise, as well as supporting strategic acquisitions for both platforms. Prior to joining Micronics, Chris served as COO for both Abaco Systems (Aerospace & Defense) and The Colson Group (Industrial) with responsibilities for both company’s global manufacturing, program management, engineering, supply chain & logistics, and distribution operations. Chris also served as Sr VP and Chief Manufacturing Officer for Symmetry Medical (Medical Devices), where he oversaw their global operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Chris was a General Manager for two operating divisions at Danaher Corporation, where he focused on driving global sales growth and operational improvements.

Chris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, an Executive Management Certificate from Harvard Business School, and an MBA focused on Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University.

In his free time, Chris enjoys running and coaching multiple youth football and basketball teams in his local community.

Glenn Hollis joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as its Chief Financial Officer in August 2020. He has served as the CFO of numerous industrial manufacturing companies over the past 26 years, with a focus on cost management, process improvements, and business growth.

Prior to joining Micronics, Glenn served as CFO for Thermal Solutions Manufacturing (Heavy Duty Aftermarket Truck Parts), Lund International (Light Truck Accessories), Jackson Plastics (Tier 1 Automotive Trim) and CMS Hartzell (Integrated Contract Manufacturer). Prior to his career as a CFO, he spent seven years as an auditor with KPMG, serving clients in hospitality, mining, railroad service, and equine operations.

Glenn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky and received his CPA license from the state of Kentucky in 1990.

Jim Leyden joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as its Controller in December 2016. He has served as controller of numerous industrial manufacturing and precision components companies over the past 27 years, with a focus on process improvements, cost reduction, business growth, and the integration of acquisitions.

Prior to joining Micronics, Jim served as Group Controller for Rexnord Aerospace Group, Dukane Corporation, and American Steel Foundries, a division of Amsted Industries.

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and holds a CPA license (inactive) from the state of Illinois.

Jim relocated from Illinois to Chattanooga, TN in 2020. In his free time, Jim enjoys hiking and spending time with family and friends.

Lou Graziotto joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as Solaft Group Financial Controller in December 2023 with the acquisition of Solaft. He joined Solaft in May 2010 as its Group Financial Controller.

Lou brings over 40 years of accounting experience to Micronics and is CPA-qualified. He previously served as Corporate Accounting Manager at Ridley Corporation Ltd, a leading Australian Agribusiness company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Lou holds a Bachelor of Economics degree in Accounting from the Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

In his free time, Lou enjoys playing golf and watching all types of sports.

Jeremy Lewis joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration team as Operations Manager in July 2017. Moving into the Director of Operations role in 2020, Jeremy’s focus has been on safety and delivering high-quality filter media products - when customers need them - to ensure total customer satisfaction. Jeremy was promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering in May, 2021.

Jeremy oversees all of Micronics' manufacturing facilities in North America.

A Chattanooga native, Jeremy has worked in the filtration industry since 1997, starting as a lab tech at Filter Specialists, Inc. He then spent 6 years working under Danaher in Industrial and Life Sciences Filtration. Having a passion for innovation, Jeremy has designed and built custom robotics for mass manufacturing products in the automotive industry, as well as designing new innovations and process improvements for the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group’s Chattanooga facility.

Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

In his free time, he enjoys restoring antique vehicles, mountain biking, and spending time with his wife and children.

Dave Phillips joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group in April 2004. Dave manages the Micronics UK team, who expertly serve the needs of the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, and African markets with engineered filtration solutions. With 20 years’ experience in the filtration manufacturing industry, Dave’s focus as Director of Operations, Micronics UK, is on delivering high-quality products and innovative filtration solutions for its global customers.

Prior to joining Micronics, Dave served as operations manager for Andritz (formerly R&B Filtration) with responsibilities for the company’s manufacturing, project management, and mechanical design engineering. Dave was also previously employed with Siemens and Simon-Hartley Engineering, and started his career with the Ministry Of Defense at the British Aerospace Radway Green, Small Arms manufacturing site.

Dave is a highly qualified engineer, with detailed knowledge of Micronics products and the wide spectrum of field applications. He holds a Higher National Certificate, Higher National Diploma, and Foundation Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

In his free time, Dave supports family life with his three daughters and enjoys the precious time with his new granddaughter.

Jason Wettstaedt joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group in 2016 and was promoted in August 2020 to Senior Vice President of Sales, USA & Canada, for both wet and dry filtration products and services. He was promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, in February 2022. With 24 years in the filtration market, Jason’s focus has been on driving sales growth by partnering with customers and leveraging his deep materials, application, and process knowledge to deliver customized engineered filtration solutions, both in the liquid-solid separation and industrial air filtration industries.

Beyond technical solutions, Jason is a collaborative sales leader who puts emphasis on coaching and mentoring his sales team to further develop their talents. He believes in and has implemented the integration of CRM with ERP systems and promotes the use of analytical tools for gaining insights for delivering Best-In-Class customer service.

Prior to joining Micronics, Jason most recently worked for FLSmidth & Co. A/S as Sales Manager focusing on the Aggregates, Steel, and Power Generation industries. Responsibilities over his 10 years with FLSmidth included strategic sales planning, serving as key account commercial and technical resource, and managing relationships with strategic business partners to increase sales, broadening and diversifying the customer base. Jason began his career with C.P. Environmental in field service and sales, performing technical inspections and audits for key customers in the Steel and Aggregates industries to ensure environmental compliance of customers’ baghouse systems.

In his free time, having recently relocating to Chattanooga, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, discovering their new hometown, and enjoying the outdoor activities the “Scenic City” has to offer.

Vlamir Fernandes joined the Micronics Engineered Group as its Vice President of Sales for Latin America in January 2018. Vlamir is a veteran filtration industry executive, with over 18 years of experience in the filtration market. His focus is on data-driven sales and strategic planning execution, with world-class commercial practices to innovatively meet customer filtration needs and exceed business expectations.

Vlamir leads a strong, highly customer-focused team of filtration sales and technical support professionals in Mexico along with managing a robust distributor/rep network throughout Mexico, Central and South America, both for Micronics’ liquid and dry filtration products.

Prior to joining Micronics, Vlamir worked at Pall Corporation as a Commercial Business Director for Latin America within its Machinery and Equipment Division. Vlamir was previously a General Manager at Filter Specialists Inc. (FSI), responsible for production, P&L performance, quality assurance, and commercial strategies for the Latin American market. Vlamir also served as a Commercial Manager for Latin America at Eaton Filtration Group (Hayward industries).

Vlamir has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade de Taubaté, a university in Brazil.

In his free time, Vlamir plays tennis and enjoys spending time with his family including his beloved grandchildren.

Erik Spofford joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as its Director of Enterprise Technology in March 2017. He later added the role of Director of Supply Chain in November 2018. Over his 18 years in the manufacturing industry, he has been focused on systems implementation and utilization, cost reduction, and building out a global supply chain. Erik has worked with a variety of ERP systems over his career and is a strong believer in leveraging systems to improve and grow a business. Erik was promoted to Vice President of Supply Chain and Enterprise Technology in May, 2021.

Prior to joining Micronics, Erik served as the IT and Financial Systems Manager at Precitech Ultra Precision Technology, an Ametek company. He had responsibilities spread over IT, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Finance over his 14 years at Precitech. Erik was focused on improving operational efficiency, systems performance, process improvements, and automation capabilities.

Erik earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management with minors in Computer Science and Mathematics from Keene State College in Keene, NH.

Erik was ordained as a youth pastor in 2014 and served in that role at his local church in NH for a number of years. Erik recently relocated to the Chattanooga area with his wife and two daughters. They have really enjoyed their new surroundings - especially the great weather - after moving to Chattanooga from the New England area. Besides spending time with his family, Erik is also an avid sports fan, with a strong passion for the Indianapolis Colts.

Mike Schmidt joined Micronics in March 2015 after the purchase of C.P. Environmental by Vance Street Capital. Mike joined Micronics as the Vice President of C.P. Environmental and Vice President of Field Services. The focus of Micronics’ Field Service Group is to grow sales by providing industry-leading quality, quick turnaround times, and delivering 100% customer satisfaction. Prior to the purchase of C.P. Environmental by Vance Street Capital, Mike served for 35 years as the Vice President of C.P. Environmental and the Vice President of Field Services. After the transition to Micronics, Mike’s responsibilities continued much as they had been prior to the acquisition. Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with Honors from John Carroll University. After John Carroll, Mike received a JD Degree from the John Marshall Law School. In addition to undergraduate and law degrees, Mike maintains memberships in Pollution Control Trade Associations. Mike has been married to his wife, Maureen, for 44 years and has 5 children and 9 grandchildren. Mike is involved in many charitable organizations and dedicates his time to Misericordia, Mt. Carmel High School, John Carroll University, and St. Jude.

Brenda Westphal is Vice President, Human Resources for the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group. She was promoted to this position in February 2022, having joined Micronics as its Director of Human Resources in November 2018. Brenda is a results-oriented HR executive with over 15 years of experience in strategic human resources and organizational development within manufacturing environments.

Prior to joining Micronics, Brenda served as the Director of Human Resources for GVS North America, Inc., part of the GVS Group, specializing in filter solutions and applications in the Healthcare & Life Sciences, Energy & Mobility, and Health & Safety sectors. She served as a change agent during four reorganizations, anticipating and addressing human resource needs while facilitating the alignment of people, processes, structure, and culture to support business initiatives. Brenda possesses a strategic and hands-on approach, fostering effective methods of goal-setting, communication, and empowerment through responsibility and accountability, building employee ownership of the organization.

Brenda earned an Associate of Science Degree in Applied Business Management from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Studies with a dual concentration in Business Administration and Human Resource Management from New Hampshire College, Manchester, NH.

Brenda relocated from New England to Chattanooga, TN in 2020 and enjoys exploring the "Scenic City," riding her motorcycle, and spending time with her beloved dog, Monkey.

Ricardo Bonelli joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as General Manager, Australia in December 2023 with the acquisition of SOLAFT, where he started in 2008 as a trainee in the technical department.

As General Manager for Micronics’ Australia/New Zealand business, Ricardo leads a focused and talented technical sales, service, engineering, and operations team based in Australia - both for Micronics’ liquid and dry filtration business - with a keen focus on industries such as alumina, aluminium, power generation, cement, steel, and mining.

Ricardo is particularly passionate about the technical side of the filtration business and loves contributing to our team’s knowledge and expertise in the applications and processes Micronics works with. He is also passionate about our positive environmental impact, particularly when assisting customers in selecting the best filtration product for their process.

Prior to his current role, Ricardo has progressed steadily, first as a member of the Technical Services team in Australia, then in roles as Technical Coordinator and Technical Manager in South America. As Technical Manager, he was responsible for supporting the sales team and customers with product selection, design, and optimization - both for Liquid and Dry Filtration products - and supporting Brazil production and the QA/QC teams. Ricardo has been a part of key projects through the years, including establishing, optimizing, and expanding fabrication capabilities both in Brazil and China.

Ricardo holds a degree in Chemical Engineering degree from FURB (Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau) and an MBA from FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), both in Brazil.

In his free time, Ricardo loves spending time with his family and friends and enjoying all kinds of outdoors activities such as bush walking, mountain biking, and going to the beach.

Zhentao Li joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as General Manager, China in December 2023 with the acquisition of Solaft.

As General Manager, China, Zhen manages our China team - both in Zhangjiagang City and Lianyungang - to best serve the needs of diverse markets including Australia, South America, North America, the Middle East, and the China domestic market with high-quality filter media, cages, and filtration solutions. With over 16 years of management experience and 12 years in the filtration manufacturing industry, Zhen’s focus as General Manager is on running our China operations in a safe, efficient, and productive manner, and providing high-quality products and innovative filtration solutions to worldwide and domestic markets to meet ever-changing environmental challenges.

Prior to joining Micronics, Zhen was employed for 6 years with Solaft as General Manager, China, with responsibility for both sales growth and operations management. Zhen was previously Deputy General Manager at Haining Textile, part of the CHA Textile Group, responsible for operations, supply chain, and domestic sales. Prior to that, Zhen was employed with Allight Australia as Operations Manager for the company’s China plant.

Zhen has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Shanghai Jiaotong University (China), a Master of Computer Science degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a Master of Business Management degree from the University of Sydney, Australia.

In his free time, Zhen enjoys hiking and climbing as well as lots of video calls with his family

Henrique Sommerfeld joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as Regional Sales Director and Product Manager in December 2023 with the acquisition of Solaft.

An experienced professional in the global filtration Industry, Henrique is now responsible for leading a senior team focused on Micronics’ Filtration Business Development in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, as well as leading an established Technical Sales team for Micronics in Central and South America.

Henrique's extensive expertise in both Dry and Liquid Filtration has significantly enhanced filtration processes for numerous global clients. He is deeply passionate about resolving customer challenges and fostering the growth of new teams in new territories.

Henrique started his career in 1997 as a product designer in Albany International and soon progressed to different areas of sales and applications. Over the course of his career, Henrique also served as a general manager at a new international filtration company, primarily specializing in dry and wet filtration products. In August 2016, he re-joined Solaft - a company formerly under Albany International - to assume leadership responsibilities and drive sales expansion.

Henrique holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Fundação Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB) and an MBA in Business Management from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). In his free time, Henrique enjoys spending time with his family and enjoys playing tennis.

Michael Broggi joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group in September 2020. With 23 years of experience bringing innovative products to market, Michael has focused his efforts on implementing robust business processes built on proven best practices, effective problem-solving techniques, and engaged leadership. He believes in building trust by providing customers with dependable solutions whether in the form of a physical product, evaluation of their current filtration process, or with the extensive knowledge base available at Micronics.

Prior to joining Micronics, Michael served Mueller Water Products for nearly a decade in multiple roles with progressive leadership as a Senior Research & Development Engineer, Quality Assurance & Process Engineering Manager and New Product Development Manager. Prior to joining Mueller, Michael spent 15 years in product development with several companies including General Electric and Robertshaw (BSI).

Michael holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University. In addition, Michael holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification from General Electric (GE) and maintains a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

In his free time, Michael enjoys mountain bike racing with his sons and volunteering with local non-profit organizations.

Jeremy Borgman joined Micronics in September 2022 as the Director of Field Service Business Development.

Jeremy has over 26 years in the Industrial Services Sector with over 17 years in the Air Pollution Control industry. Prior to joining Micronics, Jeremy served as President of BWF Envirotec, USA. This experience has provided him with emissions control and operations knowledge learned first-hand serving industrial and manufacturing clients. Jeremy has championed a corporate culture that engages and empowers its employees and has initiated a sales approach advocating client partnerships and delivering solutions. Jeremy’s focus is not only providing a product or service, but helping clients’ fleet of plants perform at optimum levels to achieve their process and environmental goals and objectives.

Jeremy holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Davenport University in Dearborn, Michigan. He resides in Harrison, Ohio with his wife of 24 years, Susan. They have four children who keep them engaged through their school, sports, and community activities.

In his free time, Jeremy enjoys being with his family and spending time outdoors. Jeremy enjoys cooking for his family - either grilling or experimenting with his smoker - while relaxing by the pool.

Jessica Swett joined the Micronics Engineered Filtration Group as a Senior Accountant in January 2016. Since then, she was promoted to Accounting Manager, and now her current position as Assistant Controller.

Jessica manages the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable teams, as well as general ledger accounting for all Micronics’ North American entities. Since 2022, her focus has been on integrating new acquisitions and optimizing processes globally across the organization.

Prior to Micronics, Jessica worked as a staff accountant for Engler, Meier & Justus, Inc. and the Dow Chemical Company.

Jessica earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University.

In her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling and camping with her husband and two daughters, and plays an active role in her daughters’ extracurricular activities.

Micronics Leadership Team
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Micronics Is Your Trusted Partner for Total Engineered Filtration Solutions. We offer end-to-end solutions from Filter Media to Industry-Leading Filtration Equipment, to Spare Parts & Accessories, to On-Site Field Services and In-House Laboratory Services. Whether for your Filter Press, Belt Press, Leaf Filter, Vacuum Filter, or Baghouse, you can count on Micronics’ deep industry and applications knowledge for the right engineered filtration solution to meet your needs. We look forward to working with your team.

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