Peter Ditzler - Vice President of Corporate Development

Peter has spent his entire career in roll manufacturing and servicing. He has been with Precision Roll Grinders since 2003, as national operations manager and strategic development manager prior to assuming his current position where he specializes in determining the value Precision Roll Grinders can bring to both new and current markets. He has significant experience in general and turnaround management, manufacturing, sales and procurement. Peter achieves success by focusing on metrics; prioritizing issues; selecting, managing and motivating staff; and applying appropriate business techniques.

Peter received his bachelor degree in business from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and has taken extensive additional coursework in engineering, manufacturing methods, quality systems and negotiation.

Larry Butkovich - Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Larry was named vice president of sales and marketing for Precision Roll Grinders in 2022, with responsibility to develop and coordinate strategies, plans, and programs to increase sales and market share, and generate greater brand awareness. He had previously served as vice president of operations. His background includes over 25 years of experience in mechanical engineering and industrial engineering, holding positions from general manager and general manager of operations to lead senior manufacturing and industrial engineer.

Larry holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master of business administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He has authored numerous articles on fast charging stations for electric vehicles in leading industry magazines, and has presented at the annual Electric Drive Transportation Association Conference as well as many Clean Cities Conferences.

Victor Schmidt - Vice President of Human Resources

Victor joined Precision Roll Grinders in 2017. A strategic and innovative human resources executive with over 30 years of experience, his responsibilities include talent acquisition and development, safety and compliance, and community relations. He serves on the board of directors (past president) of the Lehigh Valley Society of Human Resource Managers and Friends of Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks. Victor is a volunteer for Linking Employment Activities Pre-release (LEAP), Northampton County Prison, and an ambassador for the Lehigh Valley Inter-Regional Networking & Connecting Consortium (LINK).

Victor graduated from Widener University with a bachelor degree in hospitality management and from Moravian College’s post-baccalaureate human resources management program. He is a certified by the Society of Human Resource Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute.

Debbie Smalley - Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Debbie Smalley was named corporate controller for Precision Roll Grinders in 2022 and vice president of finance in 2023. She supports all accounting and financial functions, establishes and implements financial policies, coordinates the company’s financial planning and investment activities, performs financial risk assessments and assists in preparing annual budgets for all four of the company’s sites. Prior to joining Precision Roll Grinders, Debbie had 30 years of experience as a director of finance, regional finance manager, cost accounting manager and accounting manager at a number of companies ranging from small family-owned businesses to nonprofits to global brands. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at a local community college.

Debbie earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from DeSales University and holds a master of business administration degree from Kutztown University. A tri-athlete, she serves on the steering committee and as a mentor for First Strides – Allentown. She has served on the board and finance committee of the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America and as the treasurer of Women in the Outdoors – Lehigh Valley, part of the National Wild Turkey Foundation.

Jeferson de Paula Leite - Director of Sales, Latin America

Jeferson was appointed director of sales, Latin America, for Precision Roll Grinders in 2021. He has 25 years of experience as a managing director, Latin American commercial and marketing director, regional and national sales manager, and project coordination engineer. As director of sales, Jeferson oversees new business development and the sales operation in Latin America including identifying key markets, developing and executing key growth strategies and action plans, building and maintaining relationships with current and potential customers, partnering with customers to understand their business needs and objectives, and effectively communicating Precision Roll Grinder’s value proposition. He also tracks emerging and changing trends and economic indicators.

Jefferson has a degree in mechanical engineering from FEI (Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial) and a post-graduate degree in business administration from FGV (Fundacão Getúlio Vargas), both in São Paulo, Brazil. He holds a technical diploma in mechanics from EFTSP (Escola Técnica Federal de São Paulo). He is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English, and speaks German.

Matt Harris - Senior Applications Engineer

Matt Harris has been with Precision Roll Grinders since 2018. As an applications sales engineer, he designs and performs Lean Six Sigma research with current and potential customers to evaluate the increased value that a more accurate grind brings to product quality and production line performance thus maximizing the return on a company’s investment and directly impacting the bottom line. He has completed numerous studies in the paper, chocolate, soybean and rubber industries.

A graduate of Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, Matt also holds a bachelors degree of arts and physics from the State University of New York, and an associate degree in math and science from Clinton Community College, both in Plattsburgh. He is a certified Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt, and an avid hiker in his free time.

Frances Schmidt - Senior Applications Engineer

Frances joined the Precision Roll Grinders team in 2022. As an applications sales engineer at Precision, she works with companies conducting objective research designed to assess the comparative results that a partnership with Precision could bring to manufacturing processes. The results demonstrate the potential benefits of grinding rolls to the tightest tolerances possible, resulting in longer roll life, less downtime, greater product consistency and increased profits. Prior experience included an astrophysics research internship; operations, inventory control, and project management; retail sales; dog training; calculus tutoring; and being a notary public.

Frances earned her bachelor’s degree in physics, classical languages and mathematics in 2013, from Sewanee: The University of the South, Tennessee. She is proficient in Mathematica, Google Workspace, MS Office and Adobe. Interests include gardening, astronomy, cooking, hiking and aquascaping.

Greg Schmidt - Senior Applications Engineer

Greg has been an applications engineer with Precision Roll Grinders since 2018. He bridges the gap between sales and marketing and the technical and engineering aspects of the company. Greg works closely with account managers, mechanics, engineers, and customers to discover and quantify the value of Precision’s services. He works with a variety of processes in roll-to-roll manufacturing industries, including, but not limited to, paper, metal, composites, battery, nonwovens, plastics, seed oil, and wind energy. His responsibilities also include overseeing Precision Roll Grinders’ online marketing efforts.

Greg graduated with a bachelor of science degree in science and engineering from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, and with an associate’s degree in general studies from Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, both in Virginia. Greg competes in endurance racing and track days with both motorcycles and cars, and is a passionate racing fan, following MotoGP and Formula 1.

Fran Sweenor - Senior Applications Engineer

With over 32 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, Fran joined Precision Roll Grinders in 2019 as a sales account manager for Georgia/Florida, and has rejoined Precision in 2023, as a senior applications engineer. As an applications engineer, he works with customers and prospective customers to research the potential value of partnering with Precision for more accurate roll grinding. More accurate grinds result in more efficient operations, higher quality products, lower maintenance expenses, and improved performance of the line. These improvements translate directly to a demonstrable and quantifiable increase in the bottom line. Fran previously served as a paper mill superintendent over six machines in the industry, paper manufacturing division manager, asset manager, complex manager and shift manager, and process engineer.

Fran graduated with a bachelor of science degree in pulp and paper engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, and with an associate degree in engineering science from Adirondack Community College in Queensbury, New York. Fran enjoys residential home construction and outdoor activities.

Phillip Manley - General Manager, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Phillip joined the Precision Roll Grinders team in 2010 as a technical planner in Carrollton, Georgia. He was promoted to general manager of the facility in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 2018. In 2021, he moved to the Lehigh Valley to become general manager of Precision’s Allentown site. As general manager he is responsible for overseeing all daily operations of the facility from production and manufacturing to ensuring policies and procedures are followed to maximize stewardship, safety, quality, productivity and customer satisfaction. Previous experience includes project management, marketing, budgeting, customer relations, and team member training and supervision.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in aviation business administration from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Steve Campbell - General Manager, Carrollton, Georgia

Steve became general manager of the Carrollton facility of Precision Roll Grinders in 2017. He leads and manages the team there in all aspects of plant operation on a daily basis, ensuring customer expectations are met or exceeded. He is responsible for its cylindrical shaft and roll grinding business, including planning, budgeting, safety, quality and productivity. Prior to joining the Precision team, he had an extensive background and significant experience in mechanical and electrical engineering, project and executive management, the energy cable business, the underground transmission cable business, and manufacturing facility design and construction.

Steve has a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master of business administration degree from Georgia State University. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Georgia and Kentucky, a certified utility manager in Georgia and a Licensed Class A Contractor in Virginia. Steve is active in his church and has been an involved member of the Carrolton community since high school.

Al Schroader - General Manager, Lewisport, Kentucky

Precision Roll Grinders tapped Al to be general manager of its Lewisport, Kentucky site in 2021. He has been part of the team in Lewisport since 1997, where he has developed over 25 years of experience in services related to the tight tolerance rotating equipment and heavy industrial rolling applications business. He began as a grinder operator/lead person and then became a shift supervisor, account manager and most recently general supervisor, before becoming general manager. He now leads Lewisport with responsibility for all operational aspects and customer relations, including human and technical resource management, efficiency, safety and effectiveness.

He has an associate’s degree in automated manufacturing and machining from Kentucky Community & Technical College System in Owensboro, and a bachelor of science degree in technology management from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Al also holds a certificate in machine tool technology from Kentucky Tech in Owensboro. He serves as a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for Western Kentucky University.

Nick Paxton - General Manager, Texarkana, Arkansas

Nick was appointed to the position of general manager in Texarkana in 2023. There he leads and manages the overall operations for the plant, ensuring all aspects of the division function effectively so that customer and corporate expectations are met or surpassed. As general manager, Paxton is in charge of operating the factory in a safe manner, budgeting, efficiency and performance. He’s responsible for staff development and training, and oversees the quality process at Texarkana. Before joining the Precision Roll Grinders team, Nick had 20 years experience in human resource management; manufacturing engineering management; and environmental, health and safety management; and as a manufacturing engineer and equipment mechanic.

Nick holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas and has numerous professional and technical certifications. He serves on the board of directors for United Way of Greater Texarkana, is a past president and board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Texarkana, and is a representative on the Texarkana Manufacturers Regional Partnership with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce.

Drew Brady - Applications Engineer

Upon completing his Capstone Internship with Precision Roll Grinders, Drew Brady joined the team in 2024 as an applications engineer. Drew comes to us with an economics major and minors in economic statistics, econometrics, introduction to game theory, and business foundations from the McCombs School of Business, at the University of Texas, Austin. Drew’s main areas of interest are statistics and statistical analysis. He is experienced in Stata statistical software and Python programming language.

As an applications engineer, Drew utilizes his strengths in statistics and statistical analysis to perform six-sigma level research for potential and current customers. This research analyzes the effectiveness of a more precise grind for product quality, manufacturing consistency, efficiency, and profitability. His interests include 0utdoor activities (especially golf) and following sports. Football and European soccer are his favorites.

Caroline Roberts - Applications Engineer

Caroline Roberts is an Applications Engineer with Precision Roll Grinders. She earned her M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in Astronomy from Georgia State University, as well as her B.S. in Physics from Sewanee: The University of the South. In her work with PRG, she studies the impact of precision roll grinds on customers’ manufacturing processes, aiming to aid the paper, battery, food, rubber, plastic, metal, and nonwovens industries, among others.