About Us
Learn about our history, industry leadership, and exceptional employees.
Turnkey Combustion Solutions
Story
Established in 2019 as part of Rockford Systems LLC (founded 1971), Rockford Combustion provides fuel-train management and combustion-safety solutions for safety-conscious organizations that work with fuel-fired equipment in thermal processes.
We design and locally manufacture turnkey combustion systems for clean-heat applications spanning from simple to complex, backed by best-in-class delivery, installation and customer support.
Our end-to-end solutions include consultative inspections and assessments, complex engineering services, technical safety training, as well as high-quality burners, standard and engineered-to-order (ETO) valve trains, controls and components.
Our wide-range of combustion safety solutions enable organizations to improve NFPA compliance, worker safety, efficiency and air quality, while reducing the risk of fires and explosions.
Our valued customers include Fortune 1000 companies in aluminum plants, asphalt production, automotive, breweries, building materials, pulp, college campuses, crematoriums, ethanol biorefineries, food and beverage, furnace, glass manufacturers, mining, municipalities, oven manufacturers, power plants, steel mills, tire manufacturers, tobacco, waste water and sewer treatment, and more.
If your organization is looking for a single-source strategic partner for all of your combustion safety needs, you have come to the right place.
Combustion Safety Experts
People
Rockford Combustion has the applications expertise to solve any organization’s most complex combustion challenges. Our expert team brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and strategic relationships with key customers and suppliers throughout the United States.
Andrew Osinski
Andrew Osinski
Andrew Osinski comes to Rockford Systems, LLC with a rich history, through years of experience in leading industries. Andrew began his career with Xerox shortly after he completed his college degree in Industrial Engineering, later stepping into a stint of inside/outside sales and management for a division of JL Clark, in Pennsylvania. Andrew started his own machinery business that focused on small machinery custom metal forming. While self-employed, he fabricated the machine that designs the very tip of the most used device today; the ball point pen. Hauck Manufacturing (known now as Honeywell) recruited Andrew, where he started field work, and has spent the last 30 years of his career, up until now. Andrew made the choice to move into field service work for many reasons, but mostly due to the satisfaction of instant improvements; “If it was broke, it’s not anymore. If it was unsafe, it’s not anymore. If it was not producing, it is now.” That is Andrew’s greatest accomplishment, when he stepped away from design engineering; starting at the very beginning to work on the equipment that he would normally design. Andrew’s career has since focused on, and became his specialty, the Asphalt Industry, through maintaining plant and machine safety, with a focus on clean, hot air production. As Rockford Systems Sr. Service Specialist, Andrew will continue to bring this specialty with him as he focuses on what he enjoys the most; delivering immediate results and improvements.
Robert Pera
Robert Pera
Bio Coming Soon
Robin Parker
Robin Parker
Bio Coming Soon
Susan Mlynek
Susan Mlynek
Susan worked in various sales and customer service roles for over 20 years before joining CEC as an Office Admin and then an Inside Sales Representative. In 2021, Susan joined Rockford Systems as the Senior Inside Sales Representative and is enjoying working with all customers to keep them and their equipment safe. Susan is very customer-focused and is passionate about taking care of customers.
Chuck Campbell
Chuck Campbell
Charles began his career working in the Navy as an engineer for 21 years. Charles then worked as an operations manager for Arcelor Mittal Metal and as the training department manager at CEC prior to becoming the director of training at Rockford Systems in 2020. Charles biggest accomplishment of his career is giving back safety to the people and teaching people how to safely operate around equipment. The saying that Charles lives by is, “Don’t do what you don’t know.”
Joe Nitiss
Joe Nitiss
Bio Coming Soon.
Tom Dunmore
Tom Dunmore
Tom is almost through his first year of being employed at Rockford Systems and has worked at companies such as Eclipse (12 years), and Micro Switch (24 years). Tom has served as the electric inspector as well as a manufacturing technician throughout his career and has worked in the quality industry as well. Tom brings several decades worth of experience in various industries to the company.
Paul Schneider
Paul Schneider
Paul began his career performing design work in the automation and packaging industry and has spent the past 22+ years accomplishing roles with increasing responsibility in companies specializing in Thermal Processing and Combustion. Paul’s work experiences include vacuum furnace design, combustion system design, burner design, combustion industry educational workshop instructor, leadership, and mentoring experience. As a working manager, Paul brings a wealth of knowledge to his team, as he is well-versed in Design and Drafting, CAD, CFD, FEA, Basic Engineering Principles, and Custom Engineering of Electrical Control Systems, Combustion Control Systems, Ovens, Furnaces, Burners, and Burner-related equipment. As Rockford Systems’ GM, Paul has been instrumental in assembling a team of experts with many years of combined experience in the Thermal Processing and Combustion industries.
Robert Sanderson, P.E.
Robert Sanderson
Bob has extensive knowledge and is experienced in a variety of industries. Throughout Bob’s 32+ years of experience within the combustion field, he has worked in the industries of automotive, abatement-oxidation, aerospace, agriculture, food and beverage, HVAC, heat treating, glass, asphalt, pyrolysis, reducing furnaces, dryers, immersion heaters, and power generation. Bob has been employed by companies such as Eclipse, Honeywell, and Haden Inc. Bob brings systems integration, as well as the application experience of how systems interact in various environments to Rockford Systems. Bob is a member of the NFPA-86 technical committee.
Jim Shepard
Jim Shepard
Jim has 38+ years of experience in manufacturing and management in the combustion industry and takes pride in leading by example and assembling high-quality products. Jim specializes in sheet metal and heavy structural fabrication, welding, and combustion equipment manufacturing, including oxygen-enriched equipment cleaning and assembly. Jim is proficient in team-building and understanding what is required from each team member in order to successfully complete the task at hand. Jim has been employed by companies such as Eclipse Combustion and has traveled to numerous countries in order to understand and learn from various engineering plants.
Christopher LaFew
Christopher LaFew
Chris has 9+ years of experience in combustion after jump-starting his career in the stockroom at Eclipse Combustion. After beginning at Eclipse, Chris went on to work his way up through the organization and progressed to working with Inside Sales. Since beginning work at Rockford Systems, Chris’s primary work has been taking care of purchases and working with our asphalt customers. Chris is often the first person that people will speak to when calling Rockford Systems.
Mike Thompson
Mike Thompson
Michael has a vast knowledge of 3D, CAD, CFD flow simulation, and FEA structural analysis. Michael has been designing for 25+ years, including 9 years of experience in aircraft design and drafting. Michael has worked in the combustion industry since 2007, when he began working for Eclipse Combustion, then for an industrial oven manufacturer. Michael possesses 12+ years of experience in drafting and designing combustion safety valve trains, support structures for combustion equipment, burners, burner systems, and duct systems.
Matt Reeter
Matt Reeter
Matt has 20+ years’ worth of experience in designing and is well-versed in 2D and 3D CAD and has experience with CFD and FEA analysis. Matt has worked in the combustion industry since 2007 and has 12 years of experience with Eclipse Combustion. Matt has vast knowledge and experience in drafting and designing combustion safety valve trains, support structures for combustion equipment, burners, burner systems, as well as duct systems.
Melanie Jones-Espinosa
Melanie Jones-Espinosa
Melanie is an electrical engineering technology graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and has 9 years of electrical engineering work experience, as well as 5 years experience in combustion safety controls engineering for Eclipse Combustion. Along with Eclipse Combustion, Melanie has been employed by the National Railway Equipment Company, as well as Mettler Toledo CI-Vision. Melanie has developed and modified control systems for everything from burners and glass manufacturing facilities, to power generation plants. Melanie takes pride in her ability to be detail-oriented, a proficient multi-tasker, and project management.
Paul Anderson
Paul Anderson
Bio Coming Soon
Ean Hickok
Ean Hickok
Bio Coming Soon
Carl Hutchison
Carl Hutchison
Carl is a graduate of Rock Valley College who has over 3 decades worth of experience in designing, as well as having worked with combustion since 2010. Carl has worked in the industries of aerospace, designing electric motors and generators, programmable drives, as well as forklifts, aircraft seating, waste, and water systems. Carl brings a vast amount of design experience to the team.
Lee Gilbert
Lee Gilbert
Lee graduated from Rock Valley College and Northern Illinois University and received his master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Lee has been employed as an engineer at Collins Aerospace, Eclipse Combustion, and currently works as a project manager at Rockford Systems. Lee works with audits and as a safety coordinator as well. Lee has 5+ years of experience with combustion and brings a high level of engineering expertise to the group for complex solutions.
Kari Larson
Kari Larson
Kari is Rockford Systems’ Director of Marketing; responsible for Market Insights, Inbound Marketing, Data Analytics, Project/Product/Brand Management, and Strategic Planning. Kari began her career performing market research in the media/communication industry and has spent the past 20+ years accomplishing roles with increasing responsibility in companies specializing in Hardware, Packaging, Bearing, Paint/Craft/Hobby, Adhesives, Capital Equipment, Solenoid Valve, Heat Treat and Chemical Industries. Kari’s ’s work experiences include product lifecycle management, project management, process improvement, brand management, Partners in Leadership trainer, LEAN leadership certified, public relations, trade show management, channel management, competitive market intelligence, marketing automation, content creation, the voice of the customer, and P&L responsibilities for product lines ranging from $5 million to $500 million. Kari holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and an MBA.
Join Our Team
Careers
Know the customer. Know the technology. Do magic. At its core, Rockford Combustion starts with the customer and ends with the technology-driven safety solution, bringing both together to ensure workers clock out just as they clocked in.
We’re always looking for people to join our team who can bring new perspectives and life experiences to our teams.