BLog Contributors

Brent Ekstrand

Vice President of Science

Dr. Brent Ekstrand serves as Astro Pak Corporation’s Vice President of Science. He is the company’s primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for precision cleaning, cleanliness evaluation and measurement, cleanroom operations, corrosion remediation and prevention, and biological contamination / biofilm removal.

Daryl L. Roll

Astro Pak Consultant

Astro Pak Consultant, Mr. Roll serves as the primary senior technical advisor for corrosion, surface chemistry and stainless steel Passivation. With over 35 years of experience in chemical processing, Daryl has been published in MICRO, UltraPure Water Journal and Chemical Engineering for his papers on passivation and rouge control. He is a participant on the ASME BPE Subcommittees for Surface Finish and Materials of Construction requirements and a leading contributor for the Rouge and Passivation Task Groups. Mr. Roll holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Earth Science from the California State University of Fullerton and a Professional Engineer's license from the State of California.

Jeff Wassenaar

Vice President of Sales

With over 25 years of construction and metals industry experience, Jeff provides unique capabilities to assist clients and lead teams in the high purity sector. Jeff is a frequent speaker at Lunch and Learns that Astro Pak provides regularly around the country for our clients.

Mike Montgomery

Technical Director - Electropolishing Services

Since 2012 Mike has served as the Technical Director of Electropolishing at Astro Pak Corporation. With over thirty years of mechanical, machining, and metal finishing experience, Mike brings practical knowledge, capability and excellence to vessel restoration projects across the country. Mike develops and implements training programs, including confined space entry, ensuring technical excellence and safety amongst all Astro Pak MP/EP Technicians.

Patrick Banes

Northeast Technical Sales Manager

Patrick Banes is currently the Northeast Technical Sales Manager for Astro Pak. He recently assumed the chairmanship of the ASME BPE Surface Finish subcommittee after holding the role of vice chair for several years. During his 35 years of experience, Patrick has made numerous presentations on the subjects of passivation of austenitic stainless steel and rouge for the AICHE, ASME BPE, ASTM, IIR, IQPC, ISPE, PDA, Fortune 500 companies and other technical educational organizations. Patrick is also a former member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE), North New Jersey Chapter and a contributor to the current ISPE Water and Steam Baseline Guide. Pat's technical papers on passivation and rouge have been published in Microcontamination, Pharmaceutical Engineering and Ultrapure Water magazines.

Jordan Schaecher

Regional Technical Sales Manager

Jordan Schaecher is currently the Regional Technical Sales Manager for Astro Pak. Mr. Schaecher serves as the primary contact for all services needed within the Midwest territory. With over 15 years of experience in construction management, Jordan serves as a key advisor and resource for our customers as they tackle any high purity chemical cleaning and metal finishing projects within the Midwest. Jordan is a board member for the International Ozone Association as well as the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers. Mr. Schaecher Holds a B.A. in Construction Science and Engineering from Kansas State University

Chris Conner

Technical Sales Manager

Chris Conner is Astro Pak’s Great Lakes Technical Sales Manager. In his 13 years with the company, this Butler University graduate has also served as a Project Leader as well as in the Professional Services Group. Additionally, he is on the teaching staff for our Project Leader Training Program. The broad, multifaceted experience acquired from having served in sales, operational and training capacities makes Mr. Conner an invaluable resource to our clientele as he partners with them to develop custom-tailored chemical cleaning and metal finishing solutions to address their specific needs.