Professional Greenhouse Engineer & Owner

GShort.com, LLC DBA Greenhouse Design LLC, Burbank, OH (7/06-Present)

My greenhouse engineering consulting firm is focused on providing independent, unbiased, expert technical support and design services utilizing BIM processes to Architectural Firms and the Greenhouse and Controlled Environment Agricultural industry.

Licensed Professional Engineer with active registrations (as of 2/2020) in Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah with expired registrations in Connecticut, Illinois, and Indiana

Other Positions and Experience

Lecturer; The Ohio State University -ATI, Wooster, OH (9/15-12/15)

Lecturer at OSU-ATI in the Horticultural Technologies Department teaching the 2500T course "Greenhouse Environmental Control". This course covered the principles and practices of sustainable greenhouse operation and management. Topics include glazings, frames, heating, cooling, energy conservation, nutrition, irrigation, light, plant growth and operations management.

Volunteer Treasurer & Board Member; Pleasant Hill Outdoor Camp, Perrysville, OH (2001-present)

Long time Board Member and Treasurer since 2010 of a 503(c) non-profit Christian Summer Camp and year-round retreat center. PHOC is located on the edge of the Mohican State Park, with waterfront access to Pleasant Hill Lake in Perrysville, OH.  The independent board has grown the camp from 50 kids in 2000 to over 550 summer campers with fundraising and capital improvements of over 3.5 million in the past 20 years.

Design Engineer & Mushroom System Sales; CropKing Inc.  Seville, Oh (8/97-8/06)

·        Responsible for all engineering activities at CropKing, a controlled environment agricultural systems company.  Conducted engineering design, development and plan sealing of structural greenhouse frames using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Activities also included environmental system design, computer control and electrical panel design, and hydroponic growing systems including irrigation development and design.

·        Worked with outside consultants to create a specialty mushroom growing system including structural frame design, environmental control, and production systems.  Designed and supervised manufacturing of a mechanized aerated steam pasteurization unit, for the handling and production of mushroom growing media.  Presented ASAE paper on mushroom unit at 2001 annual meeting. Provided all sales and marketing of specialty mushroom production units.

·        Was a member of the management team and had direct Supervision of an Engineering Assistant and other employees.

·        Revised and maintained construction manuals for all systems and buildings manufactured by CropKing.  Was responsible for customer technical construction support and problem resolution.

·        Managed all computer resources including Accounting, CRM packages, website design, and programming.  Designed parametric material lists used for manufacturing and system quoting/costing.

Product Development; Rough Brothers Inc. (8/94 to 8/97)

Designed and implemented a new extruded aluminum gasketed glass glazing system.  Acted as a project manager on six Home Depot projects.  Developed new castings, rubber and aluminum extrusions and sheet metal parts.  Designed retractable shade systems and rollup curtain systems.  Revised over 750 drawing details using AutoCad R12 and R13 for this greenhouse manufacturing company.  Designed, wrote and implemented a successful database and AutoLisp program that combined the 750 details into job specific drawings for The Home Depot account.

Design Engineering Internship; Zelenka Nursery Inc. (Summer 1993)

Worked directly with the senior management of a 5000-acre nursery to fine ways to mechanize the nursery.  Used summer experience to design and successfully prototype a system to cover poly-houses as my senior design project.

Engineering Internship; Environmental Growth Chambers (Summer 1992)

Assisted in the design of custom growth chambers and in the field installation of the chambers.

Education:

The Ohio State University 1989-June 1994 Conferred Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering

Educational emphasis on mechanization and control of agricultural systems.

Organizations, Activities and Awards:

Active NCEES Record - Passed Agricultural Engineering Professional Practices test with the highest score in the state.

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) - Member and past Chair of the Controlled Plant Environments Committee involved in ASABE/ISO Standard revisions.

Member of NCERA-101 USDA Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use.

Member of AERGC Association of Education and Research Greenhouse Curators.

Member of AmericanHort The consolidation of ANLA and OFA.

R.C. Miller Award - A departmental award given to the senior who best exemplifies the creative spirit of engineering.

Habitat for Humanity - Helped initiate a college chapter at Ohio State University and served as first secretary in 1990. Elected as Construction Chair ‘91 as the Fund-raising Chairperson for the '92-'93 school year.

Private Pilot/Aircraft Builder - Received Single Engine Land Aircraft rating in 1990.  Have over 175 hours in various light aircraft. Currently building a Sonex light sport aircraft from plans.

Publications:

Moldovan Greenhouse Design Manual,  Kisinau, Moldova 2012

Wrote a greenhouse design manual for a USAID funded program through Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) to foster relevant, feasible and appropriate greenhouse technology to Moldova.  Moldova is currently the poorest country in Europe, but was a center of fruits and vegetable production as a member state of the former USSR.  The design manual focuses on steps for improving existing structures, as well as sample designs for building new structures using locally available materials.

Greenhouse Tomato Grower’s Survival Kit, Mississippi State University Extension Service, 2013

Speaker on a 10 DVD set of discs to help greenhouse vegetable growers succeed in the business of raising high quality tomatoes and other greenhouse vegetables.  Spoke on topics of: “Greenhouse Structures and Construction”, “Heating and Cooling -The Basics”, and “Providing the Optimal Environment in the Greenhouse”.

2019-2020 Sensei Farms, Lanai, HI is a commercial hydroponic vegetable production greenhouse system.  Phased construction of six 10,000 sqft greenhouse blocks with NFT and vine crop systems.  This was a project that was failing for the owner after partial project completion using a design from another firm.  We have retrofitted the original structures with updated systems and glazing systems to bring the project to completion with systems that meet the client’s requirements.

2018-2019 University of Minnesota - Plant Growth Facility – Conservatory Saint Paul, MN Engineer of Record for a $5.0M new 60’ x 150’ greenhouse conservatory (9000 sqft) which was constructed with four biomes in the structure.  A 20’x20’ work area connects the conservatory to the existing headhouse building.  Each biome is split into a public side and a research side via a security fence. The public side has in ground planting area with a concrete pathway.  The research side has concrete floors with low and high benching.  Program verification, SD, DD, CD,CA and CX phase services for the greenhouse components, including structure, shading, benches, HVAC, irrigation, plant and service lighting, electrical, controls and monitoring. Construction cost estimates, plans and specifications for the greenhouse and performed document review.

2018-2019 Oklahoma State University- Teaching Greenhouse - Stillwater, OK

Engineer of Record for a $5.0M new 18,500 sq.ft. teaching greenhouse project with five larger fan and pad cooled compartments and one smaller lean-to air-conditioned greenhouse attached to a new headhouse building. Special systems include Hydroponic growing systems and blackout systems.  The greenhouse is covered with 16mm acrylic panels with insulated glass on the east side by the primary entrance. Greenhouse engineering was provided for the program, SD, DD, CD and CA phase services for the greenhouse components, including structure, shading, benches, HVAC, irrigation, plant and service lighting, electrical, controls and monitoring. Construction cost estimates, plans and specifications for the greenhouse and performed document review.

2016-2017 California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. Program for new greenhouse complex.

2017-2018 Design of an advanced teaching greenhouse for Notre Dame Preparatory and Marist Academy in Pontiac, MI.  This 1200 sq. ft. greenhouse constructed in 2018 includes 16mm Acrylic roof, Insulated glass walls, heating, cooling, shade system, controls, benching and hydroponic systems.

2017 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Guterman Labs Renovation Program Created a large $36 million detailed program for to renovate the primary research greenhouse complex on the campus.  The phased approach included new and renovated spaces, shade studies, multiple layouts, and costing.

2011-2016 Illick Hall SUNY-Syracuse, Syracuse, NY Engineer of Record of a 3.2 Million Dollar Rooftop Greenhouse Project for (with Greenhouse Engineering, division of Alex Turkewitsch, P.Eng. Ltd)

2011 The Ohio State University, OARDC, Wooster, OH Consulted with the insurance adjuster to determine repair ability and replacement costs for tornado damaged and destroyed research greenhouses at OARDC campus of The Ohio State University.

Additional Greenhouse Design LLC Experience

·        Engineering design and sealing of commercial greenhouse projects using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for greenhouse manufactures including CropKing Inc., Ludy, Paul Boers Inc., Prins USA, Grayhawk Greenhouse Systems, and GGS Structures Inc.

·        Engineering design and sealing of commercial greenhouse heating projects for Biotherm Solutions Inc.

·        Greenhouse Structure and Systems expert consultant for Hortica Insurance Company

·        Engineer of Record for a greenhouse renovation project at the University of Connecticut.

·        Design of a floating bed hydroponic greenhouse system for BrightFarms, Inc. in Washington, DC

·        Primary Greenhouse Engineering Consultant for a 3.2-million-dollar renovation of Botany Greenhouses and new construction of an Agriculture Greenhouse project at Southern Illinois University.

·        International greenhouse consulting work with USAID/CNFA/DAI in Moldova.

·        Engineering Layout and Design of retrofit specialty mushroom systems.

·        Greenhouse and Hydroponic Design consulting for CropKing Inc.

·        Speaker at the Greenhouse Tomato Short Course by Dr. Rick Snyder