Our Team
Monica Rommel
CEO, Owner
What does a person who is passionate about composites and advanced materials do? They sink all of their retirement money into a small business that makes boron and silicon carbide fibers and products from those fibers. Monica Rommel is life long learner who has worked at two aerospace prime contractors as a materials engineer supporting the development of fighter jets, supersonic transports and satellite payload systems.
Rick Rommel
Chief Business Officer, Co-Owner
Rick has a long career spanning aerospace, consumer technology and retail. This apparent career confusion driven by a lifelong focus on innovation and how to “build that next great thing”. A physicist by education, but business leader by trade, Rick’s excited about how our Specialty Materials products can support new high-tech solutions. When not working, he’s challenging his son on a chessboard or via video game.
Dr. Matt Lawson
Director, Operations
Matt previously worked in the semiconductor industry making thin film devices at the nanoscale. He loves combining fundamental physics and chemistry concepts with engineering constraints and requirements. During his free time you can find Matt outside either fishing, snowboarding, exploring, or having a cold beer in the mountains.
Troy Minahan
Plant Manager
Troy started as a Technician in 2008 and applied his technical aptitude to begin a career within Specialty Materials. Working through the ranks and interacting with some of the greatest minds in the industry, he has learned to work with what is available and get it done. As a father of two, you can find Troy gaming or doing anything car related with his spare time.
Sean Camp
Prepreg Production Manager
Sean is an Aerospace Engineer with a focus in composites design and manufacturing beginning in 2004. He has experience in the military and commercial fields pertaining to aerospace structural and ballistic composite applications. He’s worked in both product development, production, and tooling engineering. He’s worked with everything from brand new product creation to improvement of decades old legacy products. From brand-new equipment; large, automated assemblies to small manual hand tools. Sean’s personal interests are martial arts, bodybuilding, video gaming, muscle cars, and film.
Garrett Bernard
Director, Business Development
Garrett has spent the better part of his career in marketing and business development roles growing specialty chemical and advanced manufacturing companies. He has a background in materials science and is an instrument-rated pilot.
Cory Timoney
CVD Support System Manager
Cory is a mechanical engineer with experience in production and research and development. His career has taken him from working with nanomaterials; to plant-wide production equipment. This has allowed him to tackle problems both big and small. In his spare time he enjoys the water, reading, and is an avid skier.
Stephanie Trinidad
Customer Solutions & Communications Manager
Stephanie has more than 20 years’ combined experience in office management, administration, supervision & customer service. She is thrilled to be a part of our SMI team and looks forward to being a complete support to our customers. She was born & raised in our hometown of Lowell, MA., she is a wife, a Mom, & has two adorable dogs. She loves spending time with her family, finding new places to travel, & enjoys everything New England!
Scott Winroth
Program Manager
Scott has more than 20 years of engineering experience with a broad range of knowledge in the fields of mechanical engineering, plastics engineering, and engineering management. He is a UMass Lowell alumnus and a U.S. Army veteran. In his spare time, Scott enjoys photography, running, hiking, and watching his son play soccer.