Laramie, WY — September 29, 2009 — Emmett Nelson, COO of Firehole Technologies, was recently recognized as an established
leader in the composites field. The B.E.S.T. recognition program, for bright, energetic,
skilled, and trailblazers, spotlights the most accomplished members and their impact
on the composites industry. Visit
www.cmmagazine.org for the Fall 2009 online edition to read more (pages
16-27).
Emmett is an expert in finite element analysis, multiscale simulation, and failure
and damage modeling of composite materials with several years specifically analyzing
composite structures. Excerpts from his nomination appear below:
All too often, business leaders are ego freaks whose first responsibility is to
the bottom line, or to lining their own pockets at the expense of the health of
the business, its employees, or the broader community. To the contrary, Mr. Nelson’s
business motives are derived from a sincere dedication to the composites community
and an intimate knowledge of the limitations in current composite design practices.
Within his organization, he connects intimately with his employees, creates a collegial
atmosphere in which open dialogue and creativity are a natural by-product. Within
the broader composites community, he is rapidly developing a reputation as a good
listener and one who can effectively translate industry needs into innovative products
and services.
Mr. Nelson has added considerably to the composites literature by authoring or co-authoring
over 20 technical publications and conference papers — all related to analysis
of composite materials and structures. He is also active with several composite-material
professional societies including SAMPE, NAFEMS, and AIAA. For example, in the recent
past, Mr. Nelson was elected co-chair for the Composites Failure Modeling section
of the 2008 AIAA/SDM conference, and the Composites Section Chair for the 2009 NAFEMS
World Congress.
The result of Mr. Nelson’s efforts has been to grow Firehole Technologies from a
two-person SBIR-focused research shop to a 25-person company with a broad array
of commercial consulting services and products, which are rapidly gaining attention
as a "quantum leap" in finite-element-based composite-failure analysis.
This business enterprise is a direct result of Mr. Nelson’s personal journey as
a modern-day compositeer and it reflects his personal ambition to make the work
of other compositeers more efficient and successful.
By replacing guesswork with well-founded emerging theories and working hard to develop
the software tools that put those theories easily within the grasp of any competent
composite designer, Mr. Nelson is not only forging a successful new business enterprise,
but he is positioning this business to re-write the industry standards for how composites
are designed and tested. In short, his ultimate goal is re-define the economics
of high-performance composite structures by rendering much of the current and costly
coupon-level testing unnecessary and replacing it with an array of much cheaper
and more insightful analyses.
"In observing the growth of numerous small businesses in the aerospace community,
one common and key success criteria that I have observed is the total commitment
to the product and the willingness to integrate suggestions from any source to make
the improvements the final product. Mr. Nelson has, over the past decade that I
have known him, selflessly assumed and executed very well almost every position
within the company as the unanticipated nuances associated with growing a new small
company. This selfless leadership demonstrated by Emmett is paramount to the considerable
influence that Firehole Technologies, Inc. is poised to have on the composites community.
Mr. Nelson is very deserving of this prestigious award."
Jeffry S. Welsh, Ph.D.
Chief, Tier-3 Division
Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office
"I am delighted to extend my enthusiastic support for Mr. Emmett Nelson’s nomination
for the BEST award sponsored by CM Magazine. Emmett supports the composite materials
community in a multitude of ways. He is a strong researcher who publishes cutting
edge innovative research and yet focuses on bringing the technology to the mainstream
of industry. The ability to advance the field of composite material failure analysis
with a pragmatic view of bringing those advances to industry is truly a rarity.
Emmett does this while capably providing leadership to a strong and growing company
in Firehole Technologies."
Andrew C. Hansen, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
College of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Wyoming
"For over 15 years, I have designed and built a wide range of high-performance
composite structures, and dealt first hand with the limitations of current state-of-the
practice failure theories and the cost that these limitations add to the end product.
During the past five years I have come to know Emmett Nelson and his innovative
approaches to composite failure analysis quite well, and developed a keen respect
for his substantial efforts to lead the industry towards a new-generation of commercial
design tools and protocols. I believe he is a shining example of the kind of talent
and leadership that our industry needs to move beyond current dogmas and into next-generation
solutions. As such, I heartily support his nomination for recognition as one of
the BEST Industry Leaders!"
Kaushik Mallick, Ph.D.
Principal Engineer
Composite Technology Development, Inc.
# # #
About Firehole Technologies Inc.
Firehole Technologies supplies innovative computer-aided simulation software and
services for composite materials to the aerospace, defense, automotive and energy
industries. Firehole’s Helius:MCT software enables the design of composite structures
without the numerous expensive testing cycles traditionally deployed, allowing for
a faster time-to-market and more reliable designs. The company’s mission is to enable
wide-spread use of composite materials leading to lighter, stronger and more fuel
efficient applications. For more information, visit
www.fireholetech.com.
Contact:
Jason Gies
Firehole Technologies Inc.
+1-307-460-4763