Ron Schiedler: From Paper Mills to Process Control Systems

From Paper Mills to Process Control  

If Ron Schiedler’s career had a headline, it might read: steady hands, high standards, zero shortcuts. 

Ron’s path into automation started in pulp and paper, an industry known for unforgiving environments, massive equipment, and systems that leave little room for guesswork.  

For 13 years in pulp and paper and another decade in wood products, Ron cut his teeth in mills and manufacturing facilities across the globe, commissioning panel feeding, stacking, sawline, and coating systems. It was technical, gritty work, and it shaped how he approaches engineering to this day: understand the system, respect the process, and take full ownership of the outcome. 

“Well, I can now say that when you eat one of those Kettle Chips, there’s a good chance they came out of one of the fryers I started up. When you have some McDonald’s French Fries, very likely came through some of the processing equipment I started up. If you’ve had that McDonalds hashbrown or tator tots, yep, I was part of the startup team for one of those projects too.”  ~Ron Schiedler

Quiet Leadership, Real Accountability 

Ron’s leadership style is grounded, understated, and deeply rooted in accountability. Early in his time at Concept, teammates experienced this firsthand through informal mentorship; conversations about expectations, ownership, and how leadership views results. Ron doesn’t minimize the demands of the work. The bar is high. But those expectations exist within a team culture where asking for help early is encouraged; problems are meant to be surfaced, and outcomes matter more than ego. 

As Chad McDowell, Concept’s Technical Resource Director, shared from his early days at Concept:  

“…long drives to eastern Washington for startups became informal mentoring sessions; conversations about expectations, ownership, and what it really means to succeed here. Ron never sugarcoated the work. Concept has high standards. But those standards exist within a team culture where asking for help early is encouraged, problems are meant to be surfaced, and results matter more than ego.” 

On projects, Ron gives engineers space to lead while maintaining just enough oversight to manage risk. Instead of directing every step, he challenges people to think ahead, come prepared with a plan, and take ownership of what comes next. It’s a mentoring approach that builds confidence without removing responsibility. As projects move toward critical phases like FATs and startups, Ron increases focus and involvement — not out of control, but out of commitment to delivering the right result for the customer. 

Ron emphasizes that success on projects too large for any one person comes from disciplined teamwork and shared ownership. On long, complex startups, he sets the expectation that no single engineer “carries” the project alone. The outcome depends on coordinated execution across controls, operations, commissioning, and support teams. 

He brings the same clarity to professional growth. Having worked at several companies, Ron has been clear that Concept stands apart in how genuinely it supports technical development. Vendor trainings, in-depth technical classes, and time invested in learning new technologies aren’t just allowed; they’re encouraged and supported. More than simply saying Concept is a good place to work and grow, Ron’s own career path reflects that belief, and the engineers around him experience that support in practice. 

Customer Trust Built on Showing Up 

Ron brings the same mindset to customer relationships that he brings to engineering. When a teammate once expressed frustration about a customer calling without scheduling time, Ron’s response was simple and firm: “It’s OK. A customer can call you.” That moment stuck with the teammate.  

To Ron, accessibility isn’t an inconvenience; it’s part of the responsibility.  

Customers trust him because he shows up, stays engaged, and treats every project like it matters, because it does. 

Over the years, Ron has worked on more than 200 successful Concept projects across food processing, pulp and paper, aerospace, manufacturing, and material handling systems, spanning the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America. He’s known as a true jack-of-all-trades: equally comfortable in PLC and HMI development, system architecture, commissioning, and on-site troubleshooting. More importantly, he’s known for seeing projects through fully. As one longtime collaborator once put it: 

“At Concept, we don’t ‘almost’ finish projects. We get them done done.” 

Ron’s career is a reminder that leadership doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like consistency. Like showing up when systems are down, when startups run long, and when customers need answers. From paper mills to process plants, Ron has built a career on calm presence, deep process controls expertise, and a standard of ownership that quietly raises the bar for everyone around him. 

Core Competencies

Application Experience 

Robotic Palletizing Automation 

Ron continues to serve as Project Manager for the design and deployment of a robotic palletizing system that automates the machine-to-pallet transfer of metallic battery plates. The original manual process posed significant ergonomic and safety risks due to repetitive handling and exposure to lead dust, while strict cycle time requirements demanded continuous product flow without buffering. The system was engineered to operate within tight footprint constraints while achieving sub-four-second cycle times and accommodating product variability. Following the successful implementation of the initial project, the robotic automation solution has since been duplicated across multiple facilities to standardize the process. Ron remains actively involved in supporting these deployments today. You can read more about the original project here. 

Greenfield Food Processing Plant  

Served as Project Manager and lead controls engineer on the programming and startup of a new potato chip processing facility in California as part of a two-person core team. The control system utilized multiple Siemens S7-1200 PLCs, Siemens WinCC HMIs, and an Eaton MCC. Led full-plant commissioning and startup from raw material receiving through packaging. This project represented the customer’s first prototype facility, introducing newly developed, state-of-the-art food processing equipment. Worked closely with operations and engineering teams to modify, tune, and optimize equipment performance and process parameters during commissioning. 

Paint Line Automation  

Installed and commissioned multiple automated paint lines for cement fiber board processing. These systems singulated boards and conveyed them through sequential ovens, coating stations, and cooling zones before automated palletizing for storage and retrieval. The controls architecture included an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC, Wonderware InTouch HMI, Allen-Bradley Ultra 3000 servo drives, and Allen-Bradley PowerFlex VFDs. Commissioning focused on synchronized material flow, consistent coating quality, and reliable operation across thermal, mechanical, and material handling processes. 

Have a process automation challenge? Let’s solve it. 

From complex Food & Beverage process control systems to large-scale plant startups, our Principal Engineers bring decades of hands-on experience and a commitment to getting projects done.. done. 

If you’re launching new equipment, modernizing existing systems, or tackling a challenging integration, Concept Systems is ready to partner with you. 

Contact us to start the conversation.