About Us
Rob Simons
ACS was founded by industry veteran Rob Simons. With over 20 years of experience in powertrain engineering, vehicle development, emissions compliance, operations and executive management, Rob is the perfect partner to help your business succeed. Rob has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from USC. He holds several US patents, and is noted for such accomplishments as the launch of the Saleen S7 super-car and green fielding the Edelbrock E-Force supercharger product line. Rob is also very active within the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) serving as the Chair of the Emerging Trends and Technology Network, ETTN.
Derk Hartland
A versatile innovative automotive engineer with advanced CAD and simulation capabilities. Over the last 20 years Derk designed just about every part on a car. With a background in motorsport Derk was involved in the design and build of the Saleen S7 supercar and the Kepler Motion. Using Siemens NX & SOLIDWORKS, he has experience with complex designs and assemblies as well as flow and strength analysis. Derk and his team at ACS can provide complete cad models and drawings and reverse engineering of existing components. We will work around your specific needs.
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Stephen Ruiz
Stephen Ruiz has extensive experience with powertrain calibration for internal combustion engines and transmissions to meet specific engineering requirements. Stephen is known for integrating engineering requirements such as power, emissions, drivability, durability, and mileage, into OEM controllers and powertrains with aftermarket engine components for production that are EPA and CARB compliant. Stephen also has a motorsports background that enables him to understand and appreciate the specific performance requirements needed while preserving emissions compliance. This experience is not limited to passenger cars and light-duty trucks, it expands to Large Spark-Ignition engines for industrial use and their specific requirements. Stephen and ACS can provide complete powertrain calibration support and integration for your specific project.
Dan Agnew
With over 35 years in the business, Dan has been a technical leader with a strong engineering record of accomplishments and global experience with automotive products from the OE manufacturers, performance motorsports, off-road, and aftermarket industries. He is an experienced team builder who has successfully created and then directed several engineering specialist groups having responsibility for injection molded and cast products from concept engineering to production manufacturing, and he has been the developer of not only critically acclaimed products, but also engineering methods and processes. In addition, Dan is skilled with many aspects of design and computer 1-D and 3-D simulation for engine and vehicle performance. Experience working in multi-cultural teams in Europe, Asia, and North America, and communicating with people at all levels, has made Dan knowledgeable and practiced with the commercial business aspects of engineering, sales, quote proposals, supplier development, and strategic planning to meet challenging program requirements.
Soren Burkhart
Soren has over 25 years of experience in translating leading edge technologies into practical and profitable business solutions. Soren’s expertise is in fusing business, financial, and technology interest into cohesive, driven, and focused operations. He has extensive expertise in business intelligence, mobility, cloud computing, and cyber security. Soren's prior experience includes: Principal - National Technology Transformation Leader for McGladrey, Director of Mobility & IT Strategy for Accenture, CIO for Aloha Airlines, and Head of Commercial Internet Systems for Bank One. Soren holds an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, as well as numerous technology certifications.
Scott Herrmann
Scott holds a BS in Airframe and Powerplant Technology and a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering. He is a certified lean and Six Sigma Black Belt. His entire life He has always been involved in racing of motorcycles, cars and boats. He has over 35 years of experience in manufacturing and operations with most of that time in the performance automotive industry. He also has experience in the aerospace, electronics and furniture manufacturing industries. He has built, relocated or expanded multiple plants all over the US. He first found his passion for manufacturing after converting a manual machine shop to cnc machining in the mid 1980’s. He continued his education to enhance his knowledge in the field of computer and automation for manufacturing and operations.