Tellurex
Our Team
Board of Directors
Clyde E. McKenzie (Chairman) is the Chief Executive Officer. An energy development expert, Mr. McKenzie led a group of investors to purchase Tellurex after extensive due diligence of the firm's IP, research and design capabilities, and engineering knowledge. He has been an executive in various capacities in banking, oil and gas exploration and production and in the natural gas pipeline and services industries for over 25 years and today serves on a variety of business and community boards. He is co-founder of McKenzie Curtiss-Lusher & Associates LLC and MC-L Holdings LLC. The first entity is a consultancy working with privately owned businesses in the areas of contract management, due diligence and strategic planning. The latter entity owns interests in businesses and tangible assets. Mr. McKenzie also is a co-founder of Nexus Resources LLC (and its affiliates), an oil and gas exploration and production company. Mr. McKenzie holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business Administration from the University of Michigan where he and his wife have endowed a scholarship for in-state undergraduate students in financial need.
Charles J. Cauchy (Vice Chairman) is the Chief Technology Officer. He was a founder of Tellurex in 1986 and has, for the past twenty-three years, taken a hands-on approach to leading the Company as a technology driven pace setter in thermoelectric research and product development. Mr. Cauchy has several patents in thermoelectric technology ranging from (1) improved semiconductor alloys and processing techniques, (2) thermoelectric power generation systems, and (3) high temperature solder alloys to (4) consumer and automotive thermoelectric products. The Company now owns these patents. As past Chairman of the Northern Chapter of the Michigan Technology Council and as a member of its statewide Board of Directors, Mr. Cauchy was an early and effective proponent of high technology business in Michigan. Mr. Cauchy has authored or co-authored several technical papers for international conferences. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Evergreen State College.
Barry Curtiss-Lusher (Secretary, Director) Mr. Curtiss-Lusher is co-founder with Mr. McKenzie of McKenzie Curtiss-Lusher & Associates LLC and MC-L Holdings LLC. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nexus Resources. He has over 25 years of experience in the oil, gas and energy industries. Prior to his decision to pursue an entrepreneurial business career, Mr. Curtiss-Lusher practiced law in Denver, focusing his efforts in the areas of capital formation, securities, and natural resources. Mr. Curtiss-Lusher's community activities include serving on the boards of the Anti Defamation League, Rose Medical Center in Denver and Colorado Public Radio. He received a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School
Donald Surber (Director) is a forty-year manufacturing veteran supplying metal and plastic components to the automotive, appliance, electronics and telecommunications industries. In 1978, Mr. Surber became President of ATF, a subsidiary of Beatrice Foods. In 1982, Mr. Surber acquired ATF and began to build a multi-divisional manufacturing business. Today, ATF is the cornerstone of a number of companies housed within Surber Investments. To foster global partnership, he co-founded the Global Fastener Alliance (GFA), which is comprised of members from Europe, Asia and North America. He is Past Chairman of the Industrial Fastener Institute (1984-85 and 1994-95). Mr. Surber has a B.S. degree in Marketing and Economics from the School of Business at Indiana University.
Jeffrey H. Berlin (Director) is owner of Bridge Industries, LLC, president and CEO of Multi Products and a board member of Cimarron Energy (a down-well products manufacturer), all industrial entities based in Ohio. Prior to the establishment of his entrepreneurial endeavors, Mr. Berlin worked for Hawk Corporation, a global manufacturer of friction products and precision components for markets ranging from industrial to aerospace. Previous to Bridge Industries and Hawk Corporation, Mr. Berlin accumulated early career experience in manufacturing, corporate development and middle market investment and merchant banking. Mr. Berlin graduated from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) with an accounting degree and is a CPA. His community activities include the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (Trustee), the Multiple Sclerosis Society (Trustee Emeritus), Big Brothers/Big Sisters and YPO.
Research Partners
Because of our rapid conversion of research into manufacturing designs, Tellurex has a growing list of leading thermoelectric research partners. This includes:
- Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory
- Michigan State University
- Northwestern University
- Michigan Technological University
- University of Michigan
Key Executives and Employees
C. Wesley (Wes) Arrington is VP of Operations. An engineer who pioneered software modeling of products, tool development and information technology, Wes has serviced companies across thirty-eight countries. He is expert at the development and implementation of successful business strategy, product integration and innovation. Over his 35-year professional career, Wes has increased revenue and profit in every business that he managed. He has extensive experience as a senior operations executive providing outsourced services to advanced technology, automotive and aerospace industries. In his role at Tellurex Wes manages the activities of the sales, production, production scheduling, production engineering, purchasing, inventory management, supply chain management, shipping and receiving, facilities, information technology, quality assurance and finance personnel.
Richard G. Harmon is the Engineering Manager of Tellurex. His responsibilities include oversight and analysis of engineering, design and prototyping of all Tellurex projects and product developments. He is responsible for interfacing engineering with Quality, Sales, Purchasing, Accounting and general management. Mr. Harmon graduated with high honors from the National Institute of Technology with an Electronics Engineer Certificate and is registered as inventor in several patents. He has been in the employ of Tellurex for nine years.
Lawrence (Lawry) R. Dolph is VP of Marketing. Lawrence is a social research and communications expert whose career achievements have been in technology product development and marketing. He is one of the few marketing professionals to have helped create a "best commercial in category", a "most award-winning advertising campaign" and to have also helped product-plan a best selling vehicle in North America. Lawry is working to develop and coordinate consistent marketing, branding, market and product positioning, advertising, website, and public relations activities for Tellurex.
Robert (Bob) D. Royce is VP of Business Development. Bob has a diverse background providing leadership in business development, and solution selling across a variety of vertically integrated industries. His experience includes turning around a struggling software services company and supporting the acquisition strategy of a venture backed eCommerce company that acquired a dozen companies leading to a successful IPO. Bob is working on investor relations and strategic partnerships as well as serving as account executive for select client relationships.