Bradey Baird is a leading expert in bolted joint integrity and the
founder of Fastened.app flange management and calculation software.
As the Global Director of Mechanical Services at TEAM, Inc., he
oversees Onsite Machining, Controlled Bolting, and Isolation and
Weld Testing services.
Bradey helps shape industry-wide best practices as a contributing
member of the ASME PCC-1 Subcommittee and the API BFJI Committee.
His expertise has been instrumental in driving technical and
reliability initiatives across a broad range of critical industries.
Bradey holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace
Engineering, as well as an MBA. As a recognized SME and patent
inventor, he is dedicated to advancing the industry's collective
expertise through innovation and shared knowledge.
Holly Decker is a Program Manager with API’s Individual
Certification Program (ICP), where she oversees the test development
for multiple certification programs. She also leads the creation and
implementation of new initiatives, including the Bolted Flange Joint
Program.
Holly has been with API for 12 years, serving the entirety of that
time within the ICP.
Owning ALLTITE is a far stretch from Tom Smith’s original
aspirations. After graduating from The University of Kansas with an
English degree in 1995, he took what was meant to be a gap year
before law school. Those first days saw a freshly minted English
B.A. peddling the industry’s first hydraulic torque wrenches from
the back of a pickup to heavy industrial customers across the
Midwest.
This grueling work was about as far from academia as you could
imagine. But Smith discovered his knack for problem-solving was well
applied to finding better solutions for his customers and their
industry. The gap year turned into eight. In 2003, after
unsuccessful efforts to persuade the tool company who had given him
his start to expand their offerings, he founded ALLTITE to do what
he knew the industry needed.
The many innovations that have sprung from the Wichita-based ALLTITE
include the first onsite calibration service (2005), the first
cloud-based calibration documentation (2009) and a QR-coded
paperless certificate retrieval system (2013). While Tom enjoys his
job as CEO, he’s still at his happiest rolling up his sleeves,
talking to customers and searching for that next innovation.
Andy Smith is a leading expert in bolting solutions with 25+ years
of hands-on experience in bolting technology, services, and
training. Starting at 16 repairing hydraulic torque wrenches, he
went on to launch his own industrial bolting tools business at 18
and, by 2000, was training globally on bolting tools for engineers,
maintenance teams, and reliability professionals.
In 2002, he co-founded a bolting tools and services company in
Wichita, KS, helping build it into a national leader supporting
major industrial turnarounds. Known for his unbiased approach, Andy
has worked with nearly every major bolting tool manufacturer and led
services across power generation, oil & gas, chemical, and
refining.
Today he leverages that experience to deliver rigorous, practical
training for bolted flange joint assemblers, reliability engineers,
and maintenance personnel—including in nuclear, drilling, refining,
and chemical facilities—earning a reputation for both technical
depth and dynamic instruction.
Iberê Souza has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from
the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Born and raised
in Brazil, he has been living in the USA for the past ten years,
where he deepened his knowledge of Quality Management Systems and
ISO 9001 standards.
Iberê recently transitioned to a technical market support position
to develop and bring expansion joint solutions to the industry. He
is currently the Expansion Joint Market Support Specialist at
Teadit.
Mark Ruffin is the Vice President of Sales and Engineering at Teadit
Group, bringing over a decade of expertise in sealing technology and
engineering solutions. His career has been marked by a focus on
bolted flange joint technology, where he has successfully led
engineering teams in enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Prior to his current role, Mark was a Sealing and Bolting SME and
BIN Leader at Chevron, where he managed a team of engineers and
played a key role in the development and implementation of best
practices for bolted flange joints. His extensive experience
includes hands-on engineering work and strategic leadership,
providing him with a comprehensive understanding of both the
technical and business aspects of the industry.
Mark's work has significantly contributed to improving sealing
solutions in various industrial applications, making him a respected
leader in the field. His technical expertise, combined with his
strategic approach to engineering challenges, has positioned him as
a valuable resource in the field of sealing technology.
Tim Rice serves as Technical Manager at VSP Technologies, where he
specializes in bolted flange connections, material specification,
and gasket design. Since joining VSP in May 2020, Tim has leveraged
his expertise to deliver innovative sealing solutions for critical
applications.
Prior to VSP, he spent two years as an Applications Engineer with
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, focusing on chemical transportation
sealing systems. Earlier in his career, Tim worked as a Nuclear
Engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding for three years, where he
supported overhaul projects on in-service aircraft carriers.
Jerry Waterland graduated from West Virginia University in 1983 with
a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and spent the first
13 years of his career with W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. –
Sealant Technologies Group. During this time, Jerry’s
responsibilities included Process/Product Engineering, Application
Engineer, Product Specialist, and Group Business Leader.
In 1996 Jerry joined VSP Technologies and has been instrumental in
positioning VSP Technologies as the leading resource for BFC
expertise and practical understanding in the process industries by
applying engineering analysis and principles to the field of Fluid
Sealing.
Jerry has authored over 60 technical papers on gasket
design/performance and BFC design, assembly, and troubleshooting. A
featured speaker at many technical conferences, he is also an
inventor with 15 U.S. patents for fluid sealing products and
processes. Jerry was an original member of the ASME PCC-1, S/C on
Flange Joint Assembly, former Chairman of the ASME Pressure Vessels
& Piping Division (PVP) Computer Technology & Bolted Joints
Technical Committee and has served on the ASME Training &
Development Division’s Flange Assembly Qualification Certificate
Course Advisory Board.
Jerry retired in 2022 after a 40-year career in the Bolted, Flanged
Connection industry, and remains involved in various industry and
technical associations. Currently, he and his wife Kelly live in the
Northern Neck of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay.
