Meet the management team
Geoff Gilmore Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Gilmore holds B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Idaho and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Portland. He earned his Doctoral degree in Quality and Productivity Management from Portland State University, where he studied while being advised by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Dr. Gilmore is a Registered Professional Engineer and a past American Society for Quality (A.S.Q.) Certified Quality Engineer. He offers extensive experience in process improvement engineering, environmental engineering, project engineering and quality product and process engineering management.
Randall Reed, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Reed’s vision of “leveraging financial knowledge throughout the organization to achieve breakthrough performance” is changing the culture of the accounting and IT organization at Climax. This environment advances transactional processors into a culture of information providers and decision-making partners who focus on the future even as they report on the past. Mr. Reed’s proactive approach is a key factor in developing successful strategic business relationships. His career includes working as a CPA with KPMG, Company Controller for A-dec, Inc., a CFO/General Manager in the electronics industry, and as a financial consultant. Mr. Reed holds both an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon. He has also served as President of the Portland Chapter of Financial Executives International.
Andrew Becker, Vice President, Strategic Business Development and Marketing
Mr. Becker has accumulated over 30 years experience in international business development and strategic planning, including extensive background in the development of strategic alliances within the nuclear power and shipbuilding industries. He has worked closely with the GSA contract administration in Washington, DC and holds a U.S. Patent for an innovative medical burn treatment procedure developed in conjuction with a United States Navy research and development contract.
Joni George, Chief Culture Officer
Ms. George brings extensive experience in human resources and cultural development from positions held with industry leaders RR Donnelley, the world’s premier provider of $9.3 billion of printing and business services; Evraz Oregon Steel Mills, one of the most diversified steel mills in North America manufacturing 1.8 million tons of specialty steel products annually; Kanto Chemical, (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kanto Corporation, Japan) a leading supplier of electronic chemicals, biotechnology products, diagnostics and fine chemicals. She has developed and implemented a variety of professional training programs including those designed to develop workforce education and technology. She is passionate about corporate initiatives that support on-going workforce development and education programs to sustain manufacturing skills and capabilities inside, as well as outside the organization, for the future of manufacturing. With a vision to “invent a visionary culture of passionate ambassadors who inspire possibilities” she is a driving advocate in creating a nurturing environment that encourages change, innovation, and embraces breakthrough thinking. Ms. George was recently awarded the Mary Pearmine Workforce Leadership Award for her commitment to workforce training and the partnerships she has built with private and public organizations to increase workers' skills. Ms. George currently serves on the Governor's Board for Enterprise for Employment and Education, and also chairs the advisory committee for Chemeketa Community College.
Scott Simmons, Vice President, Operations
With more than 32 years in a variety of industries including Shipbuilding, Equipment Fabrication, Nuclear Energy, Aerospace and consulting, Mr. Simmons has put into practice his passion for continuous improvement and Lean Processes. His roles as machine designer, quality inspector, manufacturing and process engineer, manager, and trainer have allowed Mr. Simmons to hone his extensive skills in the area of LEAN practices, Demand Based Manufacturing, and Root Cause Analysis. Mr. Simmons is committed to fostering an environment where people and business systems work together to efficiently build products, and service our customers. His energy and an unstoppable attitude will transform the Climax organization into one that is never satisfied, always looking to improve. Mr. Simmons holds a Business Administration Degree from Warner Pacific College, and a Master of Business Administration from George Fox University. He is a Director on the West Regional Board of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence, and served as a business consultant for the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a non-profit organization helping Oregon manufacturers improve business performance through workforce training, cultural awareness, and change management.
Lawrence Rentz, Vice President, Engineering
Mr. Rentz has a passion for innovative technologies and process improvements and leads an exceptional Engineering and Quality team at Climax. With over 16 years (12 at GE) of breakthrough technology experience in steam and gas turbine design, nuclear reactor analytical and maintenance solutions and machine tool design, Mr. Rentz has continually driven tremendous business growth and delivered advanced, high value technical solutions for his customers. Mr. Rentz holds a BSME degree from Cal Poly, an MBA from the University of Maine, holds 7 patents in design and manufacturing solutions, and is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt. In addition, he and his teams have been awarded such honors as the GE Corporate Duchman Award for innovation, GE’s “Best Use of Six Sigma Tools” award, GE Power Systems’ New Product Introduction of the Year award for Nuclear Retrofit Programs, and SEDCOR’s Innovation of the Year Award for Climax turbine repair machine solutions.
Brian Harris, Vice President, Sales
Mr. Harris brings over 15 years of executive sales leadership and management experience in international manufacturing firms including Stanley-Vidmar, Domino Amjet, Invensys Building Systems, and Yuasa to his position. Mr. Harris is passionately committed to a vision of stimulating growth and success and brings the necessary drive, direction, discipline and focus to achieve this. He has consistently provided the necessary spark to take a company to the next level and beyond with both a sense of urgency and a “can-do” attitude. His significant expertise in worldwide sales management, new product development and introduction is creating exciting new opportunities for Climax Portable Machine Tools. With overriding values of integrity and honesty, Mr. Harris is relentlessly committed to customer satisfaction and to the growth of Climax. Mr. Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University at Sacramento, and has received continuing business training from University of New Hampshire, Whitmore School of Business.
Phil Bauder , Vice President, International Sales Mr. Bauder has a passion for taking Climax’s portable machining solutions and introducing them around the world. With over 21 years of international business leadership, his dedication to Climax’s international customers is evident in his successful development and growth of an extensive international distributor network that spans 36 countries. Mr. Bauder’s understanding of the needs of the expanding global economy and the industrial companies involved in it have propelled Climax’s rapid growth in its international business, and has established Climax as the leader in the portable machine tool industry. In 2004, Mr. Bauder was the recipient of a USA Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award for his work in helping to develop and grow a strong market share for Climax products in Australia. He is a recognized expert in assisting international customers establish cost-effective on-site machining solutions within the power generation and shipbuilding industries. He recently played a key role in modernizing a manufacturing process for China’s growing shipbuilding industry, and also frequently conducts certified nuclear training. Mr. Bauder holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Portland State University, is an active member of Toastmasters, and is a regular guest speaker at the US Department of Commerce International Business Training and Development Seminars.