Outstanding Industrial Technologist - 1999

Wendell Saunders is responsible for assurance that quality systems and product reliability meet FAA regulations and ISO9001 standards that are requisite to domestic and foreign sales of gas turbine products. He led the company effort to establish a quality system that permitted Delavan to be certified in 1993, resulting in sales growth of 238 percent since that time. Mr. Saunder's ability to maintain a quality system capable of producing a highly reliable product has a direct and immediate impact upon his company's sales, profits, and future growth.

Wendell Saunders received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Industrial Education and Technology from Iowa State University in 1968. He served in the Armed Forces in Vietnam and upon returning home taught Industrial Education for four years. In 1974 he changed careers and joined Delavan as a Test Engineer and has since held increasingly responsible positions to become Manager of Agriculture Products. Mr. Saunders successfully directed the growth of this new business making Agriculture Products a significant segment of company sales. Delavan was acquired by Coltec Industries and the remaining Delavan entity became the Gas Turbine Products Division. Mr. Saunders was appointed Director of Quality Assurance in 1991 and in this capacity he instituted an entirely new quality system that resulted in certification to government and industry standards.