About
Williams Company (SHW) in 2010. Before the
acquisition, the business was operated by Altair
Nanotechnologies, Inc. (ALTI) in Reno, NV. In 2011,
5iTech relocated the business to Cleveland, Ohio and the
plant was opened at 7601 Detour Ave.
AlSher APM is the largest manufacturer of
nanostructured agglomerated and micronized powders in
North America. The Company's 100+ ton capacity plant is supported by an in-house QA and R&D
Laboratory.
OUR TEAM
Management and Senior Staff
Mr. Waltermire is Chief Executive Officer of Team Northeast Ohio (Team NEO), the regional private-sector-led economic development organization. Before joining Team NEO, Mr. Waltermire was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PolyOne Corporation headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio. PolyOne was formed when The Geon Company acquired M.A. Hanna Corporation in September, 2000. Waltermire led PolyOne from its formation until October 2005.
Mr. Waltermire joined The BFGoodrich Company in 1974 as a financial analyst, after He held positions as assistant treasurer for corporate finance and assistant controller for planning and analysis. During this period, he implemented ground-breaking project financings enabling BFG’s expansion of its chemical business and led the company’s operating and strategic planning processes.
In 1980 Waltermire joined the BFGoodrich Chemical Group and was named director of raw material and equipment purchasing. He later served as vice president of commercial services with responsibility for finance/control, purchasing, transportation, information systems and marketing services. He served as president of the Elastomers and Latex Division, one of BFG’s specialty chemical businesses, from 1985 to 1989.
In 1989 he returned to the BFGoodrich corporate headquarters, representing the company on Wall Street as vice president of investor relations and assistant to BFGoodrich chairman and CEO John Ong, until BFG spun off its Geon Vinyl division in an initial public offering in 1993.
Tom led The Geon Company’s initial public offering in March 1993, serving as senior vice president and treasurer. Later that year he was named chief financial officer with additional responsibilities for human resources, information technology and corporate communications. During this period, Geon aggressively improved its cost position and implemented industry-leading information technology capabilities.
Waltermire became chief operating officer of Geon in May, 1997, as part of a planned management succession. He then led Geon through a strategic transformation, the first step of which was to create North America’s largest vinyl plastic resin producer by joint venturing Geon’s large-scale plastic resin production and upstream raw material operations with those of Occidental Chemical. This transaction involved an innovative combination of asset exchanges, raw material contracts, venture agreements and cash. Geon also began a series of acquisitions in downstream, value-added plastics compounding. In May, 1999 Waltermire was named Geon’s Chairman and CEO.
Geon acquired MA Hanna in 2000 as part of its transformation strategy, adding capabilities in additional polymer technologies and a global business base. PolyOne was created to be the first truly global business in the polymer services industry with sales of $3 billion and manufacturing operations in over 20 countries. Integrating the 35 acquisitions made by Geon and Hanna prior to the merger, Waltermire created a company-wide identity and culture via common business practices and integrated information systems. Asian operations were expanded aggressively and fully shared in PolyOne’s technology and customer relationships in the US and Europe. Initially (2001-03) PolyOne focused on integration, synergy capture and rationalization of operations. Following this period, the Company returned to a growth agenda based on new technology, marketplace effectiveness, improved customer responsiveness via Lean Principles and increased investment in people training and development. Waltermire resigned from PolyOne in October, 2005, a record earnings year for the company.
Mr. Waltermire served on the board of directors of Nucor Corporation from 2003 to 2005. He serves as a member of the Advisory Boards of Early Stage Capital Partners and Delta Plant Technologies. He received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University and a master of business administration degree with distinction from Harvard University.
Mr. Lewis is Vice President – Global Innovation for The Sherwin-Williams Company. Prior to this assignment, he was Vice President – R&D for the Paint & Coatings Division.
Mr. Lewis has 30 years of industrial experience having held a variety of positions in marketing, engineering, R&D, and manufacturing support. He coordinates Sherwin-Williams’ world-wide research & development, manufacturing technology, and technical service functions supporting the company’s nine (9) operating divisions. Max chairs the company’s Innovation Council and is also responsible for new technology ventures and the company’s key raw materials strategy.
Mr. Lewis began his career as a Research Engineer with Conoco Inc. in their Chemicals Division. After DuPont acquired the company in 1987, Mr. Lewis transferred into DuPont’s Titanium Technologies business and served in several senior management positions at DuPont White Pigments.
He served as President of the Board of Directors of PRA International located in London, UK until its merger with Pera International in 2009. He now serves on Pera International’s Board of Directors. Mr. Lewis also serves on the Board of Directors of CERAMATEC, a privately held advanced materials technology company located in Salt Lake City, UT. He is a member of the Ohio Polymer Strategy Council and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND), the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Council (OBIC).
Mr. Lewis is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and is a Registered Professional Engineer. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he graduated Valedictorian of the College of Engineering and Technology. He also holds an MBA degree from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma.
Mr. Bogden is a successful entrepreneur, inventor, businessman and investor. One of the first round investors in 5iTech, Mr. Bogden serves on the 5iTech Board of Directors. He founded and for the last 24 years has been president of Bogden Architects, Inc. an Architectural and Planning firm in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Bogden is registered in 19 states and his firm has successfully completed projects across the country for clients which include J P Morgan Chase, Ohio State University Medical Center, Safelite Corporation, National Forest Service and Nationwide Insurance.
Prior to starting Bogden Architects in 1986 he was with NBBJ, an international architectural firm. He is also the managing partner of Auruel Investments, LLC, a real estate development firm. Mr. Bogden is an inventor in his own right and holds several patents on construction and design innovations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture degree from Ohio State University.
Mr. Forman is an executive with senior-level business, legal and financial experience gained over 30 years of corporate leadership. He has personally negotiated over $250 million in acquisitions and $750 million in divestitures, and was lead negotiator on the $2.6 billion sale of Firestone Tire & Rubber to Bridgestone.
Formerly, Mr. Forman was Executive Vice President, member of the Board of Directors and an active member of the Executive Committee of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. He was responsible for company-wide strategic planning, human resources (52,000 employees), world-wide legal and intellectual property, total quality control management system, and public/government affairs. He was part of the core team that conceptualized and then created the $1B MasterCare retail sales network.
He also serves on the Boards of Directors of White Dove (an 80 year old privately owned manufacturer) and the Shaker Consulting Group (a leading provider of pre-employment assessment tools).
For 15 years, Mr. Forman served on the Board of Directors, chaired the Compensation Committee and was a member of the Audit Committees at Olympic Steel, a NASDAQ listed steel distribution company with >$1B dollars in annual revenue.
Mr. Forman holds a B.S. in Aerospace and Satellite Systems (1968) from the University of Michigan, a J.D. degree from University of Michigan (1972), and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School (1989).
Mr. Polott is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of 5iTech.
He is a an entrepreneur, technology commercialization professional, experienced deal maker and attorney. Over ~20 years, Mr. Polott has specialized in technology commercialization, technology transfer, strategic planning, startup operations and funding.
Since the end of 2001, he has served as the CEO of 5iTech, LLC, the sole current shareholder in AlSher. Mr. Polott is also a director of Aria Analytics, Oculatek and Sterionics, in which 5iTech is a founding partner.
Prior to launching 5iTech, Mr. Polott practiced law with prominent law firms in Southern California and Ohio. He represented U.S. and foreign clients in multi-million dollar negotiations and advised them with respect to commercialization of novel technologies, international business ventures and market penetration strategies. He was repeatedly elected to chair the International section of the Cleveland Bar Association and served in that position from 1999 to 2001.
The US Department of Commerce appointed Mr. Polott to the U.S. - Russia Innovation Council on High Technology (an entity organized at the direction of President Bush and President Putin) where he served as one of 5 US business representatives from 2005-2011.
Mr. Polott is a native of Moscow; he immigrated to the United States, earned a BA with honors in government from Oberlin College, and earned his Juris Doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law where he was a member of the Texas International Law Journal.
Mr. Curran is Chief Operating Officer of 5iTech, LLC. He is a seasoned senior management professional with over with over 30 years experience in HR, Manufacturing, Finance and Engineering with early stage companies and global corporate leaders. He has held a variety of positions including Vice President of Operations, HR Director, COO, President, CEO and Board of Directors Member. As a top executive, he has been instrumental in bringing a number of companies to profitability.
He has served as Chief Operating Officer at Greenleaf Capital Management (GCM), a wealth Management firm with over $480 million in discretionary assets under management and a full spectrum Venture Investment Program, putting together private funds which enable individuals to participate in venture capital opportunities while spreading their risk over multiple public and private companies.
Prior to his work in the finance industry, Mr. Curran spent more than 20 years with Tektronix in the UK and with the Test & Measurement Group of Gould Inc. and Applied Technology Ventures in the U.S. where he gained extensive experience in manufacturing in the Instrumentation and IT sectors.
He managed US, UK and Mexican manufacturing facilities with annual sales of $62 million. Mr. Curran led and implemented a joint venture between Gould and Larsen & Toubro, for the manufacture of Gould products in India. He conceived, designed and implemented a new production introduction system, reducing new product introduction cycle time into manufacturing by 50%. He introduced cell-manufacturing technology to improve product quality and product cycle time and developed activity based cost system.
Mr. Curran oversaw the consolidation of manufacturing facilities in France and Mexico transferring production from these locations to the US with minimum impact to customers and the revenue stream. As leader of Manufacturing Task Force for Gould Instrument Systems, he was instrumental in improving efficiency of all plants in the USA, Mexico, UK, and France up to 25%.
At Gould he conceived, designed, and introduced a Quality Council to assist the company to become a “world class” supplier of test and measurement products. The multidisciplinary Council provided a forum for feedback from customers, sales and service, and internal departments and a mechanism to review products, processes, and methods. He lead the successful effort to introduce and obtained ISO 9000 accreditation.
Mr. Curran holds a degree in advanced electronics and business. His extensive executive management experience, includes a human resources emphasis.
Mr. Curran is Chief Operating Officer of 5iTech, LLC. He is a seasoned senior management professional with over with over 30 years experience in HR, Manufacturing, Finance and Engineering with early stage companies and global corporate leaders. He has held a variety of positions including Vice President of Operations, HR Director, COO, President, CEO and Board of Directors Member. As a top executive, he has been instrumental in bringing a number of companies to profitability.
He has served as Chief Operating Officer at Greenleaf Capital Management (GCM), a wealth Management firm with over $480 million in discretionary assets under management and a full spectrum Venture Investment Program, putting together private funds which enable individuals to participate in venture capital opportunities while spreading their risk over multiple public and private companies.
Prior to his work in the finance industry, Mr. Curran spent more than 20 years with Tektronix in the UK and with the Test & Measurement Group of Gould Inc. and Applied Technology Ventures in the U.S. where he gained extensive experience in manufacturing in the Instrumentation and IT sectors.
He managed US, UK and Mexican manufacturing facilities with annual sales of $62 million. Mr. Curran led and implemented a joint venture between Gould and Larsen & Toubro, for the manufacture of Gould products in India. He conceived, designed and implemented a new production introduction system, reducing new product introduction cycle time into manufacturing by 50%. He introduced cell-manufacturing technology to improve product quality and product cycle time and developed activity based cost system.
Mr. Curran oversaw the consolidation of manufacturing facilities in France and Mexico transferring production from these locations to the US with minimum impact to customers and the revenue stream. As leader of Manufacturing Task Force for Gould Instrument Systems, he was instrumental in improving efficiency of all plants in the USA, Mexico, UK, and France up to 25%.
At Gould he conceived, designed, and introduced a Quality Council to assist the company to become a “world class” supplier of test and measurement products. The multidisciplinary Council provided a forum for feedback from customers, sales and service, and internal departments and a mechanism to review products, processes, and methods. He lead the successful effort to introduce and obtained ISO 9000 accreditation.
Mr. Curran holds a degree in advanced electronics and business. His extensive executive management experience, includes a human resources emphasis.
Mr. Polott is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of 5iTech.
He is a an entrepreneur, technology commercialization professional, experienced deal maker and attorney. Over ~20 years, Mr. Polott has specialized in technology commercialization, technology transfer, strategic planning, startup operations and funding.
Since the end of 2001, he has served as the CEO of 5iTech, LLC, the sole current shareholder in AlSher. Mr. Polott is also a director of Aria Analytics, Oculatek and Sterionics, in which 5iTech is a founding partner.
Prior to launching 5iTech, Mr. Polott practiced law with prominent law firms in Southern California and Ohio. He represented U.S. and foreign clients in multi-million dollar negotiations and advised them with respect to commercialization of novel technologies, international business ventures and market penetration strategies. He was repeatedly elected to chair the International section of the Cleveland Bar Association and served in that position from 1999 to 2001.
The US Department of Commerce appointed Mr. Polott to the U.S. - Russia Innovation Council on High Technology (an entity organized at the direction of President Bush and President Putin) where he served as one of 5 US business representatives from 2005-2011.
Mr. Polott is a native of Moscow; he immigrated to the United States, earned a BA with honors in government from Oberlin College, and earned his Juris Doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law where he was a member of the Texas International Law Journal.
Ella G. Kirilin, Ph.D. - Product Development and Quality Assurance Manager of AlSher APM.
Dr. Kirilin is a technical and scientific research professional with over 15 years of experience in the field. Prior to joining AlSher APM in 2011, she was the Technical Group Project Manager at the NSL Analytical Services, Inc. She has extensive expertise in Research & Development, Chemical Technology Design, Environmental Engineering, Ceramic Nano Material Synthesis and Industrial Production, Advanced Microscopy, Routine Optical Spectroscopy, Failure Analysis, Project Management, Product Development, and Quality Systems,.
She has been the primary contributor to projects for numerous customers, including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Her work included technical support in product development and troubleshooting / root cause analysis.
Dr. Kirilin earned her Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering at the renowned D. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (MUCTR). She currently concentrates on product and technology development for metal oxides nanomaterials and manufacturing process quality assurance.
Eric Wu, Ph.D. – Material Science Engineer in the Product Development and Quality Assurance Laboratory of AlSher APM.
Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. degree of Material Science and Engineering from the Case Western Reserve University in the field of solid oxide fuel cells. He specializes in ceramic processing, ceramic thin and thick film deposition, solid state synthesis and thermodynamic modeling. Prior to joining AlSher APM, Dr. Wu worked for Rolls Royce Fuel Cell Systems on the development of electrode and ceramic interconnect materials. He is experienced in material characterization techniques, such as XRD, PSD, BET, XPS, SEM, TEM and FIB.