About AMP
AMP is the newest platform company for Chicago-based private equity firm May River Capital (May River), which focuses on lower middle market industrial growth companies. With a focus on material processing, AMP brings together manufacturers of industry-leading, complementary material processing equipment to enhance customers’ engineering skills. In addition to burgeoning markets like cannabis, AMP focuses on industries like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and chemicals.
The two companies that make up AMP are Kason Corporation and Marion Process Solutions. Headquartered in Milburn, NJ, Kason has nearly 50 years of experience designing and manufacturing screening, drying, cooling and processing equipment. The company serves a range of industries including food, pharmaceutical, chemical, plastic, energy, minerals, aerospace and defense. Marion Process Solutions, an 80-year-old company based in Marion, IA, custom manufactures processing solutions with industrial mixers and blenders, as well as microwave vacuum drying systems. Marion focuses on food, nutraceutical, mineral, plastic, chemical and biomass industries.
About May River Capital
May River Capital is a Chicago-based private-equity firm focused on investing in lower middle-market industrial growth companies. May River invests in high-quality industrial growth businesses, including precision manufacturing, engineered products, specialized industrial services, and value-added industrial distribution businesses.
Need Additional Solutions for Complex Bulk Solids Material Processing?
The May River family of process equipment manufacturing brands: Cablevey, Spiroflow, Kason, and Marion, offers industry leading advanced material handling equipment and engineering capabilities to address your most complex bulk solids material processing needs.
Automated Handling Solutions (AHS) has aligned Cablevey Conveyors and Spiroflow to be the leading provider of automation solutions, as well as specialized material handling equipment such as enclosed conveyor systems. AHS’ products serve customers in regulated end markets such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, specialty chemical, and general industrial processing.
By aligning two leading industrial processing manufacturers known for their customized solutions, AMP is creating synergies to offer new solutions addressing the greater material processing needs of our customers. AMP will help lay the groundwork for the Kason and Marion teams to expand their platform, addressing even more applications in multiple end markets.
Finally, we believe in quality, integrity, and honesty. To us that means promises made, promises kept.
Executive Team
Brad Sterner
Executive Chairman, Automated Handling Solutions
Former operating executive at Colfax, Rexnord, IDEX, Danaher and Emerson, Brad specializes in high value manufacturing and engineered products. He has extensive operations and M&A experience and is the current CEO of Hunt Valve, Executive Chairman and Board Member of Advanced Material Processing, and Executive Chairman and Board Member of Industrial Flow Solutions.
Seth Vance
President & Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Material Processing
Throughout his career, Seth has focused on industrial growth businesses. He first joined AMP as the President of Kason Corporation before moving into his current role at AMP. Seth joined AMP from Timber Automation, a private equity-backed manufacturer of custom sawmill equipment, control systems and optimization technology, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he held various leadership roles at Danaher Corporation focused on growth through commercial excellence, new product development, digital marketing, and market adjacencies. Seth received his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University.
Pat McGowan
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, Advanced Material Processing
Pat joined AMP as Chief Financial Officer in January 2021. Prior to joining AMP, he spent 12 years as an industrial finance executive at General Electric (GE) and Wabtec Corporation. His time at GE included a stint on the GE Corporate Audit Staff followed by roles as a product line CFO, a supply chain CFO and finance integration leader with GE Transportation. Pat received his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Matt Banowetz
Senior VP Engineering & Operations, Advanced Material Processing
Matt has a relentless passion for product development, engineering, and operational excellence. He joined Amp from Marion Process Solutions, a private equity-backed manufacturer of custom mixing equipment and integrated systems, where he served as the Senior Vice President of Engineering and Production Services. Previously he held various leadership roles at ESP International focused on engineering, quality, product development and operations. Matt received his MBA from the Tippie School of Business at the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa.
Lance Briggs
VP of Sales and Business Development
Lance brings a strong background of providing solutions, leadership, process implementation, and driving commercial excellence in the overall customer experience. Following his education in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Missouri in Columbia, he began his career as an operations focused product engineer and manager, until he was introduced to the world of technical sales by taking on a position as an Application Engineer for Paul Mueller Company. Falling in love with the process of bringing creative solutions to constantly varying customer challenges, he advanced his career into Business Management and then Global Sales Management for the Heat Transfer divisions of Paul Mueller Company. Lance then came to the AMP team leading the Kason sales effort as Director of Sales, before moving on to lead the commercial efforts for North America across AMP’s complete solution platform.
Antoine Lecomte
VP of Sales and Business Development Europe
Antoine joined the AMP team early April 2021 as the Vice President of Sales and Business Development Europe. Prior to joining AMP, he spent 10 years in several international sales and business development roles in the Energy, Engineering and Material Processing equipment sectors, promoting efficient marketing, business development and sales strategies. He strives to foster a creative, engaging, and structured work environment. Antoine holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the ENIM School in France together with an international MBA from the IAE School of Management in Lyon, France, focusing on leading international teams.
