Vince has a broad background in automated processes. He has been intimately involved in design and research projects (32 patents) as well as being a leader and manager.

Background

Vincent started his career at Green Giant Company, designing food processing equipment. At Doerfer, he was Director of food and pharmaceutical technology. He left to become V.P. of Engineering and later President and CEO of Jimmy Dean Companies, and established plants in Texas, Iowa and Mississippi. Vince was recruited by the Bigwood family, moved to London, and became Director of Hygrade Ltd. Upon his return, he was President and CEO of Aquasport in Miami, Florida; President and CEO of Carolina Skiff in Jacksonville, North Carolina; Sr. Vice President of The Unimark Group in the USA, Mexico and Canada; and Interim Chief Operating Officer of Simply Fresh Fruit in South Bay, Florida and Los Angeles, California.

Since joining us in 2007, Bernard has worked on projects like the AgRobotics™ Soil Sampler.

Over his career, Bernard has worked on a number of projects and technical investigations. The following list illustrates the wide variety of projects that Vincent has worked on:

• Food Processsing
   - Design of a sweet corn processing and packaging system. The total system is installed in      three separate semi trailers, specially modified to meet food safety standards per FDA.      The portability of the operation allows it to be moved to various sites as the maturity of the      corn varies geographically. The system will initially produce product for food service. A      package will contain twelve uniform size ears with a controlled atmosphere in a specific      barrier film to promote longer shelf life.
   - Design and construct a fruit salad processing plant in South Florida. The facility utilized      300 employees and was specially constructed to maximize food safety through the use of      air filtering systems as well as a HACCP program. Automation of the processes minimized      contact with the finished product.
  - High speed slicing system for fresh produce like pineapple and papaya.(12,000 kilos/hr)      The new machine produces thin sliced segments for special uses.
   - Development of special extrusion machinery for food products. The machine makes special      shaped cereal, potato and corn chips, cookies, etc. to appeal to target markets.
   - High Speed carton former – French Fry cups - for major fast food outlet.
   - Development of automated bed preparation and casing soil deposition for mushroom      production
   - Sweet corn ear orientation for feeding automated cutters.
   - Toaster sandwich line development. Developed sandwich products and packaging for      direct usage in consumer toasters.
   - Boil in the bag development – Set up equipment and production line.
   - Portion control product machinery. Developed (and patented) equipment and processes for      forming, shaping and cut off of specially shaped process foods.
   - High pressure water jet cutting of food products. High speed processes to automatically      trim fat from meat, slice baked goods, etc.
   - Conducted study to modify special horizontal retorts for production of meat products,      Vienna sausage, etc.
   - Design and build automated line to assemble and package sausage and biscuits at a rate      of 800/min.
   - Design of automated melon ball cutter that improves both yield and productivity.
   - High speed system for processing pineapple, papaya, melon, cereal potato, corn chips,      cookies, meat, sausage, biscuits, etc.
   - Design gas fired impingement oven for meat products. Unit would sear and roast at a rate      of 4,000 lbs/hr.
   - Development of patented extrusion and packaging system to automatically produce and      package small square hamburger patties for a national fast food chain.

• Food Processing- Peeling fruits and vegetables
   - Chemical systems used for traditional processes
   - Non-chemical-steam, cold water and vacuum process for citrus products
   - Design of a high-speed citrus canning line in Puebla, Mexico.

• Food- Product Development
   - Develop fruit/gelatin retail food product in joint research program with Morinaga Dairies of      Japan.
   - Candy manufacturing systems. Development of special machines and processes to      manufacture new style candy bars, and related shapes.
   - Cereal based snack food systems development – design production processes and      machines to make special shapes, textures, colors, etc.
   - Develop system for producing various organic baby food formulaes for a start-up company
   - Development of a computerized syrup formulation system with online adjustment due to      the Brix variation in the raw material. This process assured quality and flavor consistency.

• Cryogenics- Food Processing
   - Design of a highly automated processing plant in Costa Rica. The operation was to process      and freeze diced pineapple and mango for export, using a liquid nitrogen system.
   - Development of patented carcass chilling system utilizing cryogenics to inhibit dehydration      during chilling.
   - Design, development and installation of nitrogen immersion cryogenic freezing system to      be installed in three plant locations in Mexico. Capacities of these systems ranged from      3,000 lb/hr to 12,000 lb/hr.
   - Develop patented extrusion system to produce link and patty products utilizing a      continuous freezing system and cutoff device to produce close weight control of individual      items
   - Develop liquid nitrogen immersion carcass chilling system. The concept allowed for the      immersion chilling or pre-rigor carcasses up to 150 kilos that are subsequently conveyed to      an equilibriation room containing 0% oxygen.

• Cryogenics- Manufacturing Processes
   - Automated assembly systems for assembly of interference fit components utilizing      cryogenics and heat.
   - Design and build of systems to de-burr rubber and plastic parts.
   - Design cryogenic assembly system to produce roller cam followers for an international      construction machinery company.

• Cryogenics and Freezer Systems
   - Managed construction of 40 million pound feezer in Mexico.
   - Managed construction of systems to produce dry ice
   - Develop liquid nitrogen immersion freezer for Saudi Arabian government for installation in      Jeddah

• Automation of Fabrication, Assembly and Packaging Processes
   - High Speed visual sorting system for deposit containers at 800 per minute. System sorts      and totals deposits by state for reimbursements.
   - Automated systems for mushroom production. Developed processes and special machines      to mechanize processes from growing to harvesting to packaging.
   - Design high speed armature winders- for small process motors.
   - System for automatic assembly of oil filters.
   - Design and install special packaging systems for food products.
   - High speed carton former for major fast food outlet.
   - Design various collating systems to assist bakeries in packaging cookies and other pastries      as they exit the ovens.
   - Conduct research and assist European food processors in modified atmosphere packaging      of fresh meat products.
   - Design of high-speed packaging system for cigarette packages, utilizing composite      wrapping as opposed to cellophane, foil, and paper.

• Manufacturing Processes
   - Develop extrusion system to produce UK style sausages without the use of casings.
   - Development of temperature controlled metal molds for Reinforced Fiberglass (RFG)      manufacturing. This improved quality and allowed production increases of 300 to 400      percent.
   - Design of patented grinding system with variable feed and cutter speed for a large      processing equipment manufacturer.
   - Study to automate an appliance manufacturing line for manufacturer of washers and      dryers.
   - Composite tool development for manufacture of aircraft components.
   - Conducted a number of feasibility studies for a major steel manufacturing firm to explore      the substitution of hot rolled steel in place of cast iron and other materials.

• Design of Special Systems and Tools
   - Design and development of pre-programmed sealer for high altitude balloon production,      utilizing metalized composite films.
   - Vacuum deposition system for applying metal substrates to plastics and film.
   - Defrothing equipment for a municipal waste treatment facility.
   - Design and develop a high-speed processing system for recyclable cans. The process      included sorting bulk empty cans and collating them, conveying them at 900 per minute      through a vision scanning system and separating them according to inkjet or die stamped      codes.
   - Development of patented, automated system to break hog carcasses (loin, belly, and rib)      at a line rate of 350/hr.
   - Design and development of a number of bag-making machines, both intermittent and      continuous motion. Several of the units required the ability to automatically seal various      attachments
   - Design and implementation of the recovery beacon module utilized on the Apollo project

• Medical Equipment Design, Manufacturing and Packaging
   - Develop special surgical appliances and tools (for international medical clinic)
   - Medical device assembly and sterile packaging.
   - Catheter Assembly and packaging systems- medical hardware.
   - Medical devices- Assembly and packaging of various special tools and single use medical      hardware.
   - Design automated assembly prototype system for assembling medical stents of various      types and sizes
   - Conduct research involving the use of porcine skin sections for use in burn treatment      centers. The sterile skins would provide temporary skin for burn victims to reduce      dehydration and suppress infections.
   - Conducted research and development on first ICU monitors for instrumentation firm
   - Designed stereotaxic probe device to assist surgeons in performing brain surgery

• Agricultural Machinery
   - Selective asparagus harvester for repetitive harvest cycles.
   - Conducted studies for steel manufacturer's Agricultural Marketing department to      demonstrate opportunities for and advantages of replacing cast iron parts with steel parts.
   - Research, design and styling on industrial mower product.
   - Design team member for soil sampling and packaging machinery.
   - Development of a GPS-controlled robotic sampling system with the ability to sample soils      for precision application of nutrients to maximize yields on a least cost basis.

• Business Proceedings
   - Conduct acquisition of several watercraft companies for a large sporting goods firm
   - Conduct turnaround and sale of a national brand salt water boat manufacturer

• Management Posititions
   - National Food Processing firm
     · Vice President of Engineering
     · President CEO
   - Major Marine manufacturer
     · Consultant
     · Start-up operation manufacturing
     · President
   - Chief Operating Officer, for East coast food processor
   - Senior Vice President, Global Technology for an international food organization
   - President, cryogenic system manufacturer
   - President of Major marine manufacturer
   - President of special systems firm
   - Consulting projects
     · Manufacturing processes for conglomerate in United Kingdom
     · Integration study for national feed processor
     · Asset utilization studies for several companies

Additional Information