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Corporate Leadership

William R. Jones, FASM – CEO, Solar Atmospheres’ founder-owner – Bill is a pioneer in our industry.  An electrical technology graduate of Penn State, he has been developing vacuum furnace and processing technology for over 40 years.  He is an American Society of Materials (ASM) Fellow, and received ASM’s prestigious Eisenman Award.   President of Abar Corp. for five years, in 1978 he founded Vacuum Furnace Systems (VFS).  In 1983 he and his son, Roger, formed Solar Atmospheres.  Mr. Jones holds numerous vacuum furnace design and process patents, and has authored many technical publications.

Jamie Jones – President, Solar Atmospheres in Eastern PA – Jamie has worked for Solar in Brazing and Vacuum Heat treating since 1994. Jamie is a member of ASM and also a member of the Metal Treating Institute (MTI), serving on the board of trustees since 2012. Jamie has also taken a number of management, metallurgical, and heat treating courses from both associations.

Robert Hill, FASM – President, Solar Atmospheres of Western PA & Solar Atmospheres of Michigan – Bob began his career with Solar Atmospheres in 1995. In 2000, Bob took on the responsibility of starting Solar Atmospheres second plant located in Hermitage, PA where he has specialized in the development of large vacuum furnace technology and titanium processing capabilities. Bob has been a long time member of ASM. In 2009, Bob received the ITA (International Titanium Association) Achievement Award. In 2010, he was appointed to the ASM Board of Trustee’s. After serving on  the MTI (Metal Treating Institute) Board of Directors for 6 years, Bob became the President of MTI in October 2014. Bob was recently inducted into ASM’s prestigious 2014 Class of Fellows in Montreal, Canada.

Derek Dennis – President, Solar Atmospheres of California – Derek joined the Solar Team the summer of 2008 to spearhead the establishment and start-up of Solar’s Fontana, California heat treating and brazing facility. A lifelong resident of Southern California with extensive background in the local Aerospace community, Derek is well positioned to lead the CA facility to success and future growth. Prior to taking the reins at SCA, Derek’s spent seven years in the United States Marine Corps as a Crewchief, Aerial Weapons and Tactics Instructor, Night Vision Systems Instructor and Squadron Safety NCO.

Steve Prout – President, Solar Atmospheres Southeast – Steve joined Solar Atmospheres in the Fall of 2013 to establish Solar’s newest vacuum heat treating facility in Greenville, South Carolina.  Steve started his career in commercial heat treating and brazing in 1996 and has held a variety of positions in the heat treating world before coming to Solar.  These roles include production manager, plant manager, business development manager, and general manager.  Steve is a member of the ASM and MTI.

Edward Engelhard – Vice President of Corporate Quality – Ed was formerly the President of Owego Heat Treat in Apalachin, New York. The company was started by his grandfather in 1952 and is the place where Mr. Engelhard honed his knowledge for over 40 years in metallurgy, heat treating and its related quality systems.  Mr. Engelhard holds a B.S. in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Lehigh University. He is a member of ASM International and SAE International and an award-winning member of Nadcap.

Michael A. Moyer – Vice President of Sales, Eastern PA – Mike brings over 33 years of vacuum processing experience to the Senior Sales position at Solar Atmospheres. He is an industry-recognized expert in vacuum brazing. Mike’s tenure with Solar Atmospheres began in 1990…early in the organization’s history. In 2000, Mike gained the position of Corporate Quality Manager where he authored Solar’s quality system, laying the foundation for Solar’s unwavering focus on quality. In 2011, Mike transitioned to the lead sales position at Solar. In this role, his contributions became a key factor in Solar’s organizational growth. As a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) AMEC Committee (Aerospace Metals and Engineering) he contributes to technical revisions of AMS 2750, the global standard in pyrometry. In addition to being a member of AMEC, Mike is a member of ASM International, and past Chairman of the esteemed ASM Liberty Bell Chapter.

Mike Johnson – Director of Sales, Western PA – Michael previously held the position of Quality Manager at Solar Atmospheres Western PA (Hermitage), responsible for maintaining Solar’s quality systems along with Boeing, ISO, Lockheed Martin and Nadcap accreditations. Michael’s promotion to Director of Sales was a seamless transition due to his background and knowledge of material and aerospace specifications.  Michael has a strong background when it comes to processing titanium, nickel based alloys and PH grade materials.

Frank Trujillo – Director of Sales, California – With over 30 years of Metal Distribution Sales and Branch Management experience in the Western Region, in early 2021 Frank went from being a Solar Atmospheres customer to the new Director of Sales for the California Team. Being a California native, Frank’s background and relationships throughout the Metals and Aerospace industries have enabled the CA facility to quickly expand its customer base and grow into new markets.

Michael Paponetti – Sales Manager, Southeast began his career working summers in high school at a local Cleveland area heat treating and brazing company, and previous to Solar Atmospheres, a President and Minority Owner of a brazing company in Ohio. Michael joined Solar in November 2013 as the Regional Sales Manager at our Hermitage facility, and in December 2018, he was appointed to Sales Manager at our Greenville, South Carolina facility. Michael is a member of the American Metals Society as well as a active member of the American Welding Society C.3 Committee on Brazing and Soldering.

Trevor Jones – President, Solar Manufacturing – Trevor was previously a member of Solar Atmospheres’ Research and Development Team for the improvement of vacuum thermal processing equipment, current vacuum services and the development of new processes. Since 2000, Trevor has experience in vacuum thermal processing including an associate degree in mechanical engineering and an associate degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University. Trevor is a member of ASM and has served as Chair of the ASM Philadelphia “Liberty Bell” Chapter in 2012–2013.

Roger A. Jones, FASM – CEO, Emeritus – Roger previously served as Corporate President since 2001. He has been with Solar since its inception in 1983, then serving as founding Vice President. During Roger’s tenure in corporate leadership, the company has seen remarkable expansion that now includes more than 250 employees and more than 60 vacuum furnaces. He has served in both ASM International and the ASM Philadelphia “Liberty Bell” Chapter in offices such as Philadelphia Chapter Chairman, Education Chair, Technology and Programming Chair, and currently as ASM/HTS International, Vice President. Roger’s numerous contributions to the Metal Treating Institute include holding the office of President in 2004-2005, serving a ten year term as the Technical Program Chair, as well as currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. Roger is also heavily involved in serving his community and is a life member of Perkasie Fire Company #1.