About Us
Erick Sharp founded ACE Laboratories LLC in 2014.His experience working for companies in the United States and Europe provided Erick a close look and a deep education at the state of rubber and silicone testing, research and development and a clear view of where the industry was heading.
Management
Erick Sharp
President | CEO
Doug Foster
Director of Technical Services
Zach Ellashek
Operations Manager
Rodney Armstrong
Engineering Manager/Business Unit | Manager - Construction
KYLIE KNIPP
Senior Technical Account Manager
Eric Britton
Technical Sales Engineer
Todd Lang
Sr. Analytical Chemist
Dylan Bencze
Quality Engineer
Erick Sharp
President | CEO
Erick founded ACE in December 2014 mainly offering consulting and development services, but quickly expanded into the world of independent accredited testing. He has been in the rubber and polymer industry for over 20 years which has included key roles within Lauren International, Quanex Building Products, and Portage Precision Polymers. His experience in manufacturing as well as his visionary nature continue to drive ACE to be the Accurate, Collaborative, and Efficient lab that our customers have come to love. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering.
Doug Foster
Director of Technical Services
Doug joined ACE in 2018 to support the buildout of the accredited rubber testing and development laboratory. He has 18 years of experience in the rubber testing world with roles from method development to site management. In addition to daily responsibilities at ACE Doug is engaged with the industry through board positions on local rubber groups and championing standards development within ASTM as a subcommittee chair. He has a BS in Biology with a Chemistry concentration for John Carroll University and an MBA from Youngstown State University.
Zach Ellashek
Operations Manager
Zach joined ACE in 2021, bringing with him extensive experience in scaling up rapidly growing small businesses. Prior to joining the team, he spent ten years scaling a startup in Phoenix, AZ. Utilizing his unique skillset, Zach maximizes ACE’s efficiency through systems development and implementation. He also plays a vital role in maintaining ACE’s customer service and is consistently pushing for new ways to enhance customers’ experience as ACE continues to evolve.
Rodney Armstrong
Engineering Manager/Business Unit | Manager - Construction
Rodney joined ACE in 2022 as the lab expanded the construction materials testing laboratory and obtained Cool Roof Rating Council certification. Rodney brings over 15 years of experience in laboratory management, testing, and R&D of construction building materials. In addition to overseeing the construction laboratory, Rodney designs and develops new test equipment and software, oversees equipment maintenance and repairs, and assists with the development of innovative products. He has a BS in Electronic Engineering from The University of Akron.
KYLIE KNIPP
Senior Technical Account Manager
Kylie joined ACE in 2023 contributing her expertise to technical projects such as formulation development, failure analysis, and material characterization. Additionally, Kylie actively bolsters ACE’s sales and marketing initiatives and provides training for clients looking to better understand rubber compounding, mixing, and testing. She serves on several committees of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society and has over a decade of experience in the rubber industry. Kylie obtained her BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron.
Eric Britton
Technical Sales Engineer
Eric joined ACE in 2022 with a focus on growing and strengthening ACE’s customer base. In his technical sales role, Eric handles direct communication with clients for new business development and helps determine how ACE can best support the needs of potential customers. His experience includes working in custom rubber compounding and rubber fabrication as a Materials Engineer. Eric holds a BS in Chemical Engineering with a specialization in Polymer Engineering from The University of Akron.
Todd Lang
Sr. Analytical Chemist
Todd joined ACE in 2021 as the lab grew it’s analytical testing services. With his extensive knowledge and understanding of chromatography and spectroscopy, Todd works to develop and refine testing methodologies to support the evolving needs of our customers. In addition to his role at ACE, Todd supports Cleveland State University as a consultant where he is able to share his 30+ years of analytical chemistry experience with the next generation of chemists.
Dylan Bencze
Quality Engineer
Dylan joined ACE in 2018 as a Laboratory Technologist, and over the years has advanced into the role of Quality Manager as ACE has grown. Although Dylan still occasionally performs testing, most of his time is spent maintaining ACE’s quality management system, performing internal audits, and driving continuous improvement projects. Dylan has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Robert Morris University, a MS in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering from The University of Akron, and is a certified ISO /IEC 17025 lead auditor.
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