INDUSTRIES & SERVICES

Whether you have a need for a high level assessment of your facility operations, advice on how to improve your profitability, or subject matter expertise around chemical processes, Process Industries Consultants brings time-tested approaches, proven methodologies, and years of experience to your issues. We can improve unit profitability, streamline operations, provide cost and waste reduction, and minimize environmental concerns.

We are able to take you from lab concept to commercialization based on our process experience, commercialization skills, and hands-on orientation to problem-solve your technical and commercial issues.

Process Industries Consultants has expertise in EHS protocols, Federal and State safety regulations, and such quality systems as GMP and ISO-9001.

Product Development & Management

Process Development/Commercialization

Health, Safety, Environmental - OSHA/EPA Compliance

Cross-functional Team Development

White Papers

Expert Witnesses

Marketing Studies

Research & Development

Process Optimization Services

Process Industries Consultants provides best in class process expertise both within the United States and Worldwide.

Turning Insight into Action

Working with Process Industries Consultants allows our clients to achieve improved profitability, more efficient plant operations, new products, and better insights into their operations.

SPECIALTY CHEMICALS

Specialty chemicals are materials characterized by their superior performance or function, and command higher margins than commodity materials. They are sometimes referred to as “performance” chemicals. They can be molecules or mixtures of molecules known as formulations.

Dr. Shertok has an extensive background in caprolactone and caprolactone polyols, peracetic acid and its derivatives, cycloalphatic epoxides, polyvinyl acetate in chewing gums, and related chemical experience.

FILTRATION, ION EXCHANGE, CARBON PURIFICATION

The heart of chemical engineering lays in separation and purification processes. Methods can extend to distillation, solvent extraction, crystallization, simple filtration (separation solids from liquids), ion exchange (using special, functionalized resin beads to exchange a liquid’s ion content), and carbon based absorption of impurities.

Dr. Shertok has experience in membrane formation and filtration (through the Pall Corporation), ion exchange technology (via Graver Technologies), carbon-based purification (via Graver’s EcoSorb, and holds a patent on carbon block technology), and crystallization (via Bis-A technology) among other related technologies.

ADVANCED MATERIALS

The creation of advanced materials (carbon fiber composites, advanced ceramics, carbon nano-tubes, nanomaterials) has paved the way for modern jetliners, solar cells, an electronics. These would be impossible with novel materials of construction.

Dr. Shertok was extensively involved in the creation of new advanced materials business functioning as both a Technology Manager and Product Manager. He helped oversee the business from glassware to full commercialization. He is currently working with an entrepreneur to create a novel solar cell design based on advanced 3D printing technologies.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

The general overview of Biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, including, but not limited to, the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc.  Fermentation often plays an important part of this process.

Dr. Shertok worked as Manufacturing Manager for Amoco BioProducts, responsible for the production of synthetic 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 as poultry feed supplement.The steps included fermentation to product the raw organic feedstock, an ion exchange treatment to isolate it, a photochemical reaction to make the 25HD3 molecule and several final process and isolation steps.

FORMULATED PRODUCTS

A formulated product is composed of at least two ingredients which are selected, processed and combined in a specific way to obtain targeted properties functionality and performance. It can exist in liquid, semisolid or powder form. We use formulated products every day when we use dish washing liquids, toilet bowl and window cleaners, germicides, hard surface cleaners.

Dr. Shertok has extensive experience with formulated products through his senior management positions with the Rochester Midland Corporation, where he managed the creations of new and green formulations in floor finishes, food safety, personal care, and water treatments.He consulted with a group of investors to create a new facility in upstate NY.

PLANT SAFETY - OSHA/EPA

Emphasis on a manufacturing facility’s safe operations, compliance with OSHA and EPA regulations, hazardous waste storage, and personal protection is become more vital every day. There are newspaper articles appearing on a daily basis about companies being fined significant dollars for violations.

Dr. Shertok, in his capacity as Senior Vice President for R/D, EHS, and QA for Rochester Midland Corporation, gained a significant background is managing for safe, compliant operations. He spearheaded conversion of MSDS sheets to GHS formation, overhauled plant safety programs and operations (“Supervising for Safety”), and rationalized hazardous waste storage.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

In today’s unsettled era of 21st century corporate life, mergers and acquisition are a constant fact of corporate existence.

Dr. Shertok managed the acquisition of several organizations and technologies while a manager at Graver Technologies: acquisition of the Whatman filter business, acquisition of MetSorb heavy metals absorption media from Steven’s Institute in Hoboken, NJ, among others. Dr. Shertok traveled to a Russian scientific lab (Flerov Lab) to evaluate the technology for a novel filtration media (Nuclepore membrane).

Dr. Shertok also presented several investment theses to Private Equity (Blackstone Partners – Chicago) on water filtration and nanotechnology.

INCUBATOR/START-UPS

Incubators and Start-ups are the most innovative portion of technology in today’s world, and the most challenging.

Dr. Shertok has mentored/worked with numerous technical start-ups:

· Crystal Clear Technologies: novel selenium removal media

· 42TEK – Spanish-based nanomaterials company

· On Vector Technologies – use of low energy plasmas for pollution abatement

· Advanced Plasma Solutions – use of low energy plasmas for cleaning, odor abatement, etc.

· QuantellixML – Machine Learning/AI company

· ANA Automation – operations diagnostics and control of batch processes

· Topshelf Enterprises – development of highly efficient solar cells.

· Entrepreneur in Residence – NYSERDA (New York Stare Energy R/D Authority):

· Allied Microbiota – novel bacillus for brownfield upgrading

· Capro-X; novel organic acid synthesis method

· Verdimine – novel green imine manufacturing

 Also see presentation: Incubators and the Consultant

MARKET RESEARCH & WHITE PAPERS

Dr. Shertok has a working relationship with several business intelligence firms who have retained him to develop marketing reports on:

· Water Treatment Chemicals

· Waste Water Clean-up via Membrane Filtration

· Design and costing of Nanofiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes

· Marketers of Residential Water Filtration Devices

· Cooling Tower/Boiler Water Treatments

· Aluminum Chlorohydrate

Dr. Shertok has also written White Paper on the use of PTFE in the automotive and bakery industries.

He also functioned as an expert witness in a legionella outbreak from an indoor decorative fountain in an office building.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING/CONSOLIDATION

In today’s industrial environment, an organizational structure that works today may be ineffective tomorrow.

As a Product Manager for an Advanced Composites business, Dr. Shertok proposed and implemented a sweeping change to the business structure and created a unitary approach to the business’ product/process implementation processes.

QUALITY SYSTEMS

The pioneering work of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran demonstrated that you cannot have a quality product without a robust quality system to back up processes.

Dr. Shertok is certified instructor in the Philip Crosby Quality System, and has taught this system to R/D personnel in a Corporate environment. Dr. Shertok further participated in the implantation of MilSpec 45208 at a Carbon fiber pre-preg facility, and help to implement ISO-9002 procedures at Rochester Midland Corporation.

PROCESS COMMERCIALIZATION

The most innovative process demonstrated in glassware is worthless unless it can be effectively scaled-up first to the pilot system, and then to full commercialization.

Dr. Shertok’s particular expertise is in product/process development and scale-up. He has authored a book on the subject, The Art of Scale-up, and has overseen numerous scale-up processes:

· Developed a carbon fiber pre-preg facility (B-Staged Resins and Pre-preg manufacture) for a carbon composites manufacture (tape and tow).

· Scaled a caprolactone-acrylic coating for the auto industry.

· Developed improved diagnostics for batch formulation processes.

· Overseen the manufacture of a whole family of improved formulated products.