four f

4F - Material Alchemy – Maine’s Innovative Composite and Advanced Materials Sector

Moderator:

Steve Von Vogt, Executive Director, Maine Composite Alliance

Stephen Von Vogt serves as the Managing Director of the Maine Composites Alliance.  In addition, he is a principal in server composites companies and active in promotion of the industry.  He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and advanced degrees from University of Illinois and Harvard University

Speakers:

Steve Hassett, Founder, Custom Composites

Steve Hassett is the President and co-founder of Custom Composite Technologies, Inc., a high-end composite fabrication company delivering solutions to industry in the following targeted sectors:  renewable energy, healthcare products, architecture, aerospace, and marine.  Steve is responsible for overall manufacturing of composite assignments while simultaneously managing product development, quality control, and corporate growth.  He has 25 years of developed solid technical expertise in high-end composite fabrication using advanced materials such as carbon fiber, epoxy resin, pre-preg, and processes such as vacuum infusion and wet lay up.  He is known globally for his problem-solving approach and his broad range of construction techniques.  In addition to fabrication, his company offers consultation in manufacturing and materials, data
of collection, installation, and for research and development for prototype development.  During his career, Steve has cultivated relationships with composite engineers and designers worldwide.

Habib Dagher, Director, AEWC, University of Maine

Dr. Dagher is founding Director of the AEWC Advanced Structures & Composites Center, a National Science Foundation funded research Center housed in a 70,000 ft2 laboratory.  AEWC is a world leader in the development of low-cost, high-performance structural composites for construction.  AEWC has over 300 clients.  Dr. Dagher has conducted over 100 R&D projects with total value of over $40 million.  He has managed individual research projects exceeding $7 million and has received R&D funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast Guard.  The laboratory does work for the wind industry on blade and structure components.  Dr. Dagher has been involved in electrical transmission systems research since 1985 and is now leading research efforts to deploy wind farms in the Gulf of Maine. He testified to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee on Offshore Wind Energy along with T. Boone Pickens.  Dr.  Dagher has been appointed to Maine’s Governor John Baldacci’s Ocean Energy Task Force.  He currently serves on the Governor-appointed Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board and served on Governor Baldacci's Transition Team. He has written over 120 technical papers and chaired the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on Reliability Based Design Electrical Distribution Pole Structures.

JB Turner, President, Lyman Morse 

JB Turner grew up racing and cruising sailboats in Noank Ct.  He graduated from Bryant college in 1987 with a BS in business management.  While in school, from 1985 until 1987 he worked in a bareboat charter program out of Dodson Boatyard in Stonington Ct.  After graduation he joined the service yard as assistant yard manager.  In 1988 he moved into the yard manager position.  In 1994 he moved his family to Camden Maine and worked as a service manager for Wayfarer Marine.  In 1998 he was asked to join Lyman Morse overseeing the yard.  In 2001 he became a partner in the business and continues focusing on both the day to day operations as well as the overall plans for the yard.

Ian D. Kopp, Vice President and General Manager, Kenway

Ian D. Kopp joined Kenway Corporation in January, 1998.  A magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College, he began his career at Kenway Corporation as a project manager, focused on applying his entrepreneurial ability to Kenway Corporation’s industrial products.  After six years successfully managing large industrial projects as well as developing and marketing new products for Kenway, Ian became Vice President/General Manager of the company, responsible for daily operations of the business as well as partnering in the long-term strategic planning for the company.  When the principals of Kenway Corporation decided to purchase the Massachusetts based Maritime Skiff, Inc. in 2007 and relocate that company to Maine, he was intricately involved in that acquisition and became President/COO of the newly formed Maritime Marine, LLC.  Today, Ian is a principal and managing partner of both Kenway Corporation and Maritime Marine, LLC.  As Vice President/General Manager of Kenway Corporation, Ian oversees the daily operations of Kenway Corporation as well as Maritime Marine LLC with all production, quality and safety management personnel along with human resources and financial personnel reporting directly to him.  Ian is also intricately involved in new market and new product development, particularly the process for defining and creating that market and developing the funding sources for those new products.  As President/COO of Maritime Marine, Ian is responsible for the ongoing management of the company’s strategic Growth Plan, effectiveness of the company’s daily operations and activities as well as for the profitability and overall financial performance of Maritime Marine, LLC.  During the last ten years, Ian has contributed to a number of industry organizations on an ongoing basis, including the ACMA’s Corrosion Division, the Maine Composite Alliance, the Maine North Star Alliance Initiative, and Maine Built Boats.  Currently he serves on the Maine Marine Trade Association’s Board of Directors.