Chris Wheat
As CEO of Energy West Controls, Chris's primary responsibility is to provide a clear vision and distinct direction of EWC's future. He has always been motivated by doing the right thing. This mantra is one which guides his entire life. Chris has set some lofty goals for EWC and strongly believes that if you place the right individuals in the correct position, the positive outcome is limitless.
Chris is married and has four wonderful children. He is an avid golfer and enjoys a good ski day in the Utah mountains, especially if there is fresh powder. Chris can also be found traveling with his wife, reading a good book and continually looking for the best piece of meat to put on his smoker.
Josh Brunson
Josh brings over 20 years of Sales and Management experience to the EWC Idaho Sales territory. He has worked as a District Sales Manager in the Management Consulting Industry as well as the VP of Sales Operations for a manufacturer of custom power supplies.
Josh approaches everything he does with a passion and enthusiasm that is nothing short of contagious. When not at work providing inspirational, world class customer support, you will most likely find him exploring (or blazing) a new trail in his never-ending quest to find the perfect campsite.
Much to his surprise and delight, Josh was able to marry the girl of his dreams in 2018. He has yet to recover from the shock of her gracious acceptance and is forever working towards becoming the man that she deserves.
Dan DeMello
You will find Dan supporting Energy West customers and his co-workers from inside the Golden office. He comes from a 30 year background working in the HVAC Wholesale Distribution Market focusing on customer service and sales. Meeting new people, new challenges, and customer expectations are just a few things that drives Dan.
Dan came to Colorado transferring to a local HVAC wholesaler in 1996. He is married with two sons. They enjoy working on cars, camping, dirt biking, off roading, and just about anything outdoors.
Joanne Gallagher
With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience, Joanne is excited to assist customers in their sales experience and provide online resources to the EWC website. She is passionate about communicating EWC messaging, from product solutions to order processing that enhance EWC's great customer service and business processes.
Joanne and her husband enjoy playing Pickleball and exploring Utah's outdoor playground. She is hoping her family back east will come west and join in the fun!
Jaimie Garvin
Jaimie joined the EWC family after spending the last 17 years with Kirst Engineering in Billings Montana. Jaimie brings over 35 years of industrial equipment experience and design. Under the direction of Dave Kirst, Jaimie became known as the "FIXER" solving many difficult applications in MT, ND and WY. Prior to Kirst Engineering, Jaimie established the valve service arm for FCX Performance in Columbus, Ohio
Currently, Jaimie and his wife reside in Fishtail, Montana with their 2 dogs. He and his wife are avid outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy taking the path less traveled.
Dennis Greaney
Dennis started in the "steam business" in 1980 working for the Armstrong rep Merlo Steam. In 2008 he joined the Energy West team where he continues to assist clients conserve energy and optimize their steam systems.
When time permits he enjoys hiking in the mountains of Colorado and playing classical guitar.
Mike Hallenbeck
Mike has been in the manufacturing industry for 30+ years. His unique collection of experience has allowed him a different perspective as he has been on opposite sides of the sales process, both selling and buying.
This balanced background helps him to understand client needs as he maintains and enhances each EWC support process. His focus and desire are to provide the ultimate customer experience in all interactions with Process Technology. His greatest motivation is to help position EWC to be the foremost instrument in the marketplace to obtain the information and outcomes that each client wants and needs.
Outside of EWC, you will find him involved in some type of sport related activity, whether it be through participation or observation. He is an avid, terrible golfer and a diehard New York sports fanatic. The Monday after a Giants loss is never pretty. He also enjoys learning and has continued his college education experience throughout his career.
Mike's first question in most situations is, "How can we help?". Feel free to offer him answers to this question.
Nichole Hawkins
Nichole joined Energy West Controls in February 2008. With over 20 years of Office Administration, accounting, and customer service experience in various industries she is enthusiastic about serving and supporting colleagues, customers, and vendors in meeting their needs and goals. From making sure there is plenty of toilet paper to chasing down orders for timely delivery she loves the diversity of her job and all the people she gets to interact with every day.
Nichole enjoys spending time with her three completely AWESOME adult children, the last of which has flown the nest, and playing with her cute, little, brown fur buddy Teddy. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, dabbling in various art projects, music and chillin'.
Nate Huff
Nate has been working with actuation and controls for over 20 years, primarily in the natural gas industry. He is a graduate of Utah Valley University. He began his career by getting hands on experience via both factory assembly and field service of actuation and related controls. This experience lead him into the world of technical sales where he enjoys working with customers to provide solutions.
Nate has too many hobbies, but his favorites include hiking, hunting, exploring Utah's back country, wrenching on his 1969 Ford Bronco, and most of all, traveling with his wife.
Dax Julian
Dax joined the Energy West team as a Sales Engineer. He comes to EWC with over 17 years of experience in the O&G Industry as an Industrial Sales and Valve Automation specialist. He is a highly effective professional with hybrid operations and sales background based here in the Rockies.
Born and raised in Littleton, CO, Dax is married with 2 boys and enjoys anything outdoors, especially mountain biking and fly fishing.
Everett Less
Everett has 17 years of industrial sales and process engineering experience. He has a degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Utah. Everett enjoys working with customers and believes listening to understand is key to providing quality solutions. Everett prides himself on exceeding customer expectations and strongly believes in good customer service. His humble approach to solution sales creates an environment where knowledge is shared, trust is earned, and results can be proven.
Everett is married and has two children. His family enjoys camping, hiking and canyoneering together. Everett frequently volunteers his time to his community through coaching various sports. His favorite activities are riding single track trails on his dirt bike or mountain bike. When the snow flies he can found carving up groomers or searching out some first tracks in the backcountry.
Kristel Lundberg
Kristel provides stability and compassion and aligns corporate goals with the well-being of our employees. She is a graduate of Utah Valley University and currently pursuing her MBA. She has teenage boy/girl twins, who are involved in everything under the sun! She thoroughly enjoys being a busy full-time working mom. EWC brings her immense satisfaction as it affords her the ability to be a part of something so customer and employee focused. One of Kristel's favorite parts of EWC are the core values stated and lived by, genuinely providing awesome opportunities for personal and professional growth and development.
When she's not at work and now not at school, she enjoys watching her kids' sporting events, going to the movies, reading, and playing golf with her family.
Bob Pahl
Bob has been with Energy West Controls since 2009. In that time, he's worn many hats for our team and done so with great pride and enthusiasm. From new application design and specification, retrofit or replacement, project management, product support or troubleshooting, or simply helping to get a shipment out the door, there is nothing that comes across his desk that he can't help with. Providing great customer service is the top priority in every regard. Bob has two goals every day and those are to solve a problem and teach someone something new.
Outside of work Bob spends his free time chasing new adventures with his wife. Together, they love getting lost in the red rocks, traveling to new places, anything sports related, and especially spending time at the family ranch.
Dan Piereder
Dan's curiosity of how things work has guided him to the survey tech position. He enjoys being on site and understanding how things are made and how processes work. Dan is one of Armstrong's top factory trained steam trap survey technician. His outgoing personality had helped him create lasting relationships with the people he has works with.
Outside of work, Dan enjoys spending time snowboarding, cooking, swimming and taking his family on adventures.
Scott Place
Scott joins the EWC family with a broad range of experience. His background has given him a unique and passionate perspective towards process technologies and customer service. His focused and enthusiastic approach provides our customers with an outstanding and rewarding experience. Scott truly believes honesty, integrity and building lasting relationships is the key to providing high efficiency solutions.
Scott is an accomplished musician, professional river guide and outdoorsmen, has great mechanical aptitude and an inquisitive mind.
Justin Rich
Justin Rich has been with Energy West Controls (EWC) since 2002. He has worked his way through the company from the ground up, starting in the Warehouse with Shipping/Receiving/Deliveries, then onto Inside Sales for over 18 years where his primary focus has been on process valves & automation, expansion joints and gasket sealing equipment, primarily for industrial markets. Through these years of experience, he has gained extensive knowledge in the facets of the company and is able to apply that experience to helping in day-to-day endeavors, now as the company President/Operations Manager.
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Justin moved to Utah to continue his education at the University of Utah where he earned a B.S. in Sociology and Economics. With full intentions of moving back to Texas after of college, he ended up marrying the love of his life and has never looked back. He also has two amazing children who constantly keep him on his toes.
When Justin is not in the office, you can find him on local rivers hoping to land a fish or two, smacking the golf ball around or on the slopes trying to keep up with his kids and wife.
Rich Robins
Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Rich worked at Process Measurement Company for 27 years, first in Minnesota as an Instrument Technician, then in 1990 PMC Rich moved to the new branch office in Denver and he was later promoted to Branch Manager.
Rich has over 25 years of sales experience, including 20 years as a Branch Manager. His career has been a rewarding experience, dedicated to working with people and helping start two service-oriented Process Instrumentation branch offices.
When Rich is away from work, it is family and friends and as much fishing as he can muster. His home away from home is on the water. When it's his time to rest in peace he wants to become a fish.
Chris Rutkowski
Chris' passion for customer service is in a class of its own as he always puts the "Customer First" constantly improving his and Energy West Controls (EWC) relationship and service level to clients. He values all of EWC customer base and understands customers are doing more with less and rely on EWC products and services to get their job done timely and correctly.
Chris chose a career in Professional Industrial Sales as his degree is in "Industrial Distribution" a duel degree of Engineering and Marketing from Eastern Michigan University. As Sales Manager for EWC he encourages all EWC’s sales professionals to first listen to the client, ask questions seeking application operating parameters then successfully solve applications with an appropriate product or service.
Outside of work you'll find Chris in the X-Fit Box, skiing and horseback riding the Utah mountains, fishing from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell and working on his horse ranch with his wife and two sons.
Seth Schulz
Seth joined the EWC warehouse team in July 2022. His expert attention to detail in shipping in receiving stems from his experience as Warehouse Manager in the glass industry. Hailing from the blue grass state of Kentucky, Seth has made Utah his home. He enjoys hiking and camping with his wife and daughter.
Michele Simpson
Michele has been with EWC since 2011 and brings 20+ years of experience to our accounting department. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah (go Utes!). She is still an avid fan of their football and basketball teams. Although a native Utahn, she has lived all over the country. She currently resides in Rock Hill, South Carolina, with her husband and teenage daughter, and their pets. Her son is studying engineering at Tennessee Technological University.
When she is not working, Michele loves travelling, road biking, playing tennis, reading, and taking hilarious videos of her cat Dexter and dog Laysha.
Randy Simpson
Randy manages the shop at Energy West Controls, he handles shipping and receiving, delivery, valve repairs and just about anything else EWC will get into.
Outside of work, Randy enjoys spending time with wife and 4 crazy kids. He loves the outdoors and winter weekends exploring the backcountry on his sled searching for places to send it.
Guy Spencer
Guy joined the Energy West Controls team as a Sales Engineer in New Mexico in 2021. A native Detroiter and a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, he brings over 20 years of experience with a technical background in Enterprise Software Sales and Manufacturing. Guy enjoys helping others work through challenges to achieve their goals, both professionally and personally.
Having moved to the "Land of Enchantment" in 2009 with his then fiancée (now wife), they’ve since been blessed with the addition of "Thing One" and "Thing Two" to their family portfolio. Guy loves spending his personal time with his family, exploring for new fun and adventure. However, when time permits and everyone is still sleeping, you can also find guy sneaking out for a very early morning mountain bike ride. Guy has his sights set on taking both his girls one day on a "Triple Tandem" bicycle trip around Lake Superior...fueled only by Fudge, Pasties and Towne Club Pop.
