Robert Cohen, President
Robert holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Queen’s University. Since becoming President of Soo Foundry in 1988, Robert has also been involved with numerous other companies as an investor and active Board member. Robert worked to guide Soo Foundry through a number of expansions, and continued diversification over the past 30 years. Robert has also been very involved in volunteer work, as Past Chairperson of ASM Northern Ontario, Past President of the Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association, and has served on many boards for charities and non-profit organizations.
Ivan Brlecic, Operations Manager
Ivan started at Soo Foundry in 1994. He is a Graduate of a Machinists program in Croatia. The program focused on the Hydro Electric Industry. Ivan has been involved with the design, production and installation of Hydro projects across Canada. From a Foundation as a highly skilled machinist working with Soo Foundry in the Hydro Electric Industry, and with extensive gear box maintenance and rebuilt experience, Ivan along with Rick saw a natural fit for Soo Foundry in the Wind Energy industry. Ivan has been Operations Manager for the past 10 years.
Derek Hanchuk, Management and New Business Inquiries
Derek attended university for 3 years in Manufacturing Engineering Technology. After school he went on to complete his red seal machinist ticket and moved into a management role shortly after. He has a vast knowledge of different trades and manufacturing disciplines as well as project management experience. He is always willing to take on the most challenging projects with the shortest lead-times. Derek is also a strong advocate for the trade industry and is involved in various advisory committees in the Algoma District. This experience and passion carry over to his involvement with the recruitment and development of current and future employees at Soo Foundry.
Rick Oliver, Renewable Energy Manager
Klaud Thiel Purchasing Management
Klaud has worked in the steel service industry for over 25 years, starting on the floor and moving all the way into management. At Soo Foundry Klaud controls purchasing as well as managing our sister company Traders Steel Warehouse. Klaud is able to source various materials such as bronze, stainless steel, structural shapes and flat rolled products in the most stringent timelines.
Travis Kenny, Machining and Mechanical Supervision
Travis holds a diploma in machining as well as 2 interprovincial tickets, one as a mold maker and the other as a Machinist. His primary background is in large scale boring mill work but he is also very skilled in the other machining disciplines. At Soo Foundry he is the machine and mechanical shop supervisor. He also is very involved in mechanical field work such as field machining, complex alignment and fit up projects.
Derek Mulligan, Fabrication and Field Supervision
Derek Mulligan is a red seal Welder fitter and also a pipefitter since 2004. He holds 24 endorsed pressure tickets as well as multiple CWB Structural tickets. He gained most of his experience in the oil and gas industry in northeast British Columbia where he started as a welder and moved into supervision and management. He is Soo Foundry’s Welding Supervisor in CWB 47.1 (steel) and CWB 47.2 (aluminum). His other responsibilities at Soo Foundry include supervising 10 fabricators in the shop, field supervision in mechanical (Hydro Unit rebuilds), welding (cavitation repair) and erecting.
Maxim St. Pierre, Project Management
Maxim is a graduate of Manufacturing Engineering Technology and is our French-English speaking bilingual employee. He has worked in various areas including renewable energy and mining. His primary focus is managing our major projects and overseeing our quality management system. Max also has relevant drafting skills and is our lead when it comes to condition monitoring and vibration analysis of critical components.
Megan St. Pierre, Project Management and Estimating
Megan is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering. She has several years of experience in specialized material handling design. Her knowledge of manufacturing processes and techniques is a great addition to her drafting & design skills. Megan is responsible for Estimating and Project Management.
Matheus Serra, Mechanical Design and Quality Assurance
Matt is a Brazilian graduate of Mechanical Engineering with a diverse professional background, he has demonstrated the ability to work in an organized manner, combining fast learning and critical analysis to deal with any situation. He is also a graduate of Sault College’s Mechanical Techniques – Machine Shop program and has joined the team to be responsible for Quality Management and Mechanical design.
AJ Biron P. Eng, Project Engineer
AJ is a graduate of Electrical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario. He has a multidisciplinary background involving electrical and mechanical project management, automation programming, power system studies and electrical design. AJ is proficient in learning and obtaining knowledge to enhance technical problem-solving skills and has a proven ability to assess and solve problems from an engineering perspective as well as practical approach through a trade’s perspective.