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CEC Consultants

Reinventing itself to specialize in combustion and energy

By Joe and Dianne Devanney

"Any company in this business that does not reinvent itself every five years cannot last." With that observation, John Puskar, principal and CEO of CEC Consultants in Cleveland, Ohio, summarizes one of his core business beliefs. CEC Consultants, internationally recognized for its engineering expertise, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2004. Over the last 20 years, its successful track record has stemmed from the development of combustion safety programs to problem solving in the areas of energy, ventilation, air quality, and combustion systems.

CEC today is recognized by many as the leading combustion safety expert in the United States. Its large and diverse clientele includes such Fortune 100 companies as General Motors, Alcoa, and Ford Motor Company.

Like most success stories, the history of CEC Consultants begins with a gamble. Puskar started the firm in 1984 at the ripe old age of 26 in his home in Parma Heights, Ohio. Although it was, as Puskar now says, "more guts than brains," he was well suited for the challenge. His background as a mechanical engineer included three years with Standard Oil of Ohio (now BP Oil), where, as a senior energy systems engineer, he became deeply involved in energy- and utilities-related projects at chemical plants and refineries throughout the country. By the time he inaugurated CEC Consultants, Puskar realized that a market existed for the resolution of problems related to design and cost reduction for large industrial facilities. "I lined up working relationships before I left Standard Oil," Puskar recalls, "and through them I got hourly work. This allowed me the freedom to develop the business. I built customer after customer, often by doing ten thousand dollars worth of work for two thousand."

"At first," Puskar says, "we did traditional mechanical work, then we moved into mechanical energy conservation work for industrial clients. After that, it was environmental services. Now, in our fourth reincarnation, CEC is engaged heavily in combustion safety. It's probably now about 90 per cent of our business. One of our clients originally had a need in this area, and we realized we had the in-house skills to do it. Our combustion safety business was built from that.” Today, combustion safety issues are addressed through Combustion Safety Inc., a separate division of CEC Consultants.

The development of multiple tasking skills over the last 20 years paid off for CEC. Today, the firm employs a cross section of electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineers. When asked what he looks for in engineers, Puskar makes several observations. "Having gray hair is important. I don't look for anyone with less than five years experience. What I have at CEC Consultants are people at the pinnacle of their careers. We pay for their expertise."

Puskar knows that for the work to succeed, he and his employees must be available at all times. He comments, "CEC is often first contacted when the client is in the middle of a crisis. Our people have to step in and take responsibility and control of the situation." In addition to experience and work ethic, one of the key elements of a good engineer, according to Puskar, is "the ability to build a relationship with the client." He stresses that time must be taken to develop the kind of mutual understanding necessary for a long-term client relationship.

The diverse projects undertaken by CEC Consultants have included some with a direct impact on national security. Within the last few years, the firm has found itself assisting in America's war against terrorists. Specifically, it has been working with the Battelle Memorial Institute, in conjunction with the United States Army, in the development of decontamination technologies for buildings. This will allow emergency decontamination of buildings included within the Weapons of Mass Destruction Testing Program. CEC has brought its skills in specialty ventilation systems to the project with the hope of making facilities invulnerable to chemical or biological attack.

Two other ongoing CEC projects have come on behalf of Ford Motor Company. One began with an examination of Ford's compressed air, steam, and water systems for leaks that might impact costs and capital expenditures. CEC approached the problem by developing algorithms used with instruments like data loggers, vortex shedding meters, and chart recorders. The result allows a comparison between utility use required for assembly or related manufacturing equipment versus the amount actually being generated. Another project, now in its fifth year, is a combustion safety program that examines about 300 Ford boilers a year, with six to eight CEC people actively involved in the work.

Combustion Safety has also developed and implemented corporate-wide and worldwide combustion safety programs for other medium, large, and Fortune 100 companies like General Motors, Alcoa, and Visteon. These include inspections and testing, customized training, engineering, troubleshooting and tuning, and turnkey upgrades. The diverse training programs and workshops cover matters ranging from corporate culture to operating and maintaining equipment. Courses cover gas-fired steam boilers, boiler operations and maintenance, and the operation and maintenance of air/heater houses.

Puskar and his employees also get involved in forensic investigations involving combustion and other matters. These include trial testimony as expert witnesses and often involve insurance claims.

With such a diversity of work, it appears CEC Consultants indeed follows Puskar’s theory about reinventing itself every five years. As a result, it should continue as an innovator in engineering for years to come.

Snapshot

Company: CEC Consultants

Type: Consulting engineering firm specializing in combustion, energy, ventilation, and air quality

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Website: www.cec-consultants.com or www.combustionsafety.com

Phone: 888-826-3473

Contact information for submitting resumes:
Bryan Baesel, Engineering Manager
Mailing address: 11699 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, OH 44130
E-mail address: info@cec-consultants.com

Joe and Dianne Devanney are a husband-and-wife freelance writing team in Paoli, Pennsylvania

Progressive Engineer
Editor: Tom Gibson
2049 Crossroads Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837
570-568-8444 * progress@jdweb.com
©2004 Progressive Engineer