Our Team
Greg Heiland
Founder
Originally from Chicago, Greg has been a Phoenician since 1965. After graduating from Santa Clara University in 1982, he started his career in contamination control in sales, and management for Baxter Scientific Products (now Avantor / VWR). In 1988, Greg and his wife, Mary, founded Sierra Scientific, the first Arizona based cleanroom products distributor. They acquired a Texas-based supplier, Class 10, and started Valutek, a controlled environment consumables manufacturer in 2000. Valutek Asia Sdn BHd was established in 2004 to support logistics, quality, and supply chain functions.
Based on his decades-long commitment to the controlled environment industry, Greg was the 2018 recipient of the IEST Robert L Mielke award. He is currently IEST board Fiscal VP and is active in the development and revisions on the IEST Recommended Practices for Apparel, Wipers, Swabs, Cleaning & Gloves. Greg is passionate about sharing his insight and experiences with clients and is committed to ensuring that his industry “thought leadership” is shared publicly.
Greg enjoys traveling, reading, the outdoors, and spending time with his family.
Mary Heiland
Co-Founder
A California native, Mary graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. She began her career in neuro rehab at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton, CA. She then worked as a pediatric OT for California Children Services in Orange County, CA, and Howard County Schools in Maryland. In 1988, Mary founded Sierra Scientific with her husband, Greg, and subsequently Valutek in 2000.
As our internal and external “goodwill ambassador”, Mary’s role as culture advocate, team builder, talent recruiter, and celebrator is the heart of Valutek. Whether planning monthly themed “team appreciation” luncheons or celebrating milestones, Mary’s legacy is her genuine care for the well-being of the team and the business.
In her leisure time Mary enjoys cooking, crafting, volunteering, travel and keeping connected with four grown children and their families.
John Heiland
President
A native Arizonan, John graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2015 with a degree in business. Upon graduation, John worked as a teacher in the Alumni Service Corp at his alma mater Brophy Prep and then worked at U-Haul’s corporate headquarters on their public relations team.
John officially joined the Valutek staff at the beginning of 2019 but has unofficially worked for the family business since he could walk, talk, and move boxes in the warehouse. He oversees sales, marketing, and operations. In his current role, John is most satisfied when Valutek customers receive the right product, on time, and are supported by a team that is committed to the customer’s long-term success. On the weekends, John, and his wife Sam (with dogs Panda and Nacho), spend their free time boating, camping, or road-tripping somewhere new. John spends his free time tinkering with home improvement projects and maintaining his collection of on-road, off-road, and water vehicles
Reach John directly at jheiland@valutek.com.
Sales
Andi Batchelor
Customer Advocate
Born and raised in Arizona, Andi graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with two degrees in English and political science. Andi returned to ASU in 2021 to pursue a master’s in business administration, with an emphasis in leadership and marketing. Andi worked on U-Haul’s external communications team for over 9 years at the corporate headquarters in Phoenix before coming to Valutek in 2024.
As a Customer Advocate and working closely with all sales, customer service, and marketing teams, Andi’s goal is to understand the unique needs of Valutek customers and facilitate solutions that satisfy them quickly and efficiently.
On the weekends, Andi and wife Michelle spend their time visiting new Phoenix restaurants and spoiling their cat, Bennie. Andi loves reading, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Reach Andi directly at abatchelor@valutek.com.
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Neal Woods
Channel Development Manager
Neal graduated from Penn State University and started his career in controlled environment manufacturing and contamination control over 25 years ago. As a recognized contamination control thought leader, he and his family relocated to Chicago in 2006. His hands-on experience includes doing audits and assessments for industry-leading organizations in life science and advanced materials. Neal recognizes that each critical environment is different, and he manages Valutek’s sales channel partner network to ensure the proper resources and programs are in place to support each unique need.
With an extensive background partnering with industry leading scientific and industrial distributors, Neal manages these strategic channels to ensure the entire Valutek channel network is aligned to best support a wide range of industry needs. In his free time, Neal enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and being with his wife Michele, family, and friends.
Reach Neal directly at nwoods@valutek.com or (630) 669-3003.
Marketing
Yunus Akcali
Marketing Manager
Yunus joined the Valutek Team in 2021 and coordinates all Marketing resources. This involves managing multiple platforms to ensure that our customers have hassle-free online access to product orders, specifications, comparisons, and the full technical library.
Yunus analyzes customer data by segments to ensure that the Valutek team is providing the most appropriate marketing collateral based on a client’s specific application. He oversees the technical staff that develops blogs, case studies, and other relevant digital content to help customers have the best possible outcome using Valutek products.
Yunus’ enthusiasm for travel and history led him to travel to different parts of the world and explore “Old World” ancient civilizations and cultures. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with family and friends.
Reach Yunus directly at yakcali@valutek.com.
Finance
Nick Kadlec
Senior Controller | Director of Finance
The youngest of 9 children, Nick received an accounting degree from Keller Graduate School while working full-time. A native Chicagoan, Nick and his family relocated to Arizona in 1998. During his 22-year career with Atkore International, Nick voluntarily lead ERP implementations and lean manufacturing initiatives, in addition to his leadership role on the finance team.
At Valutek, Nick embraces challenging opportunities including (but not limited to) continuous change actions that reduce costs, enhance quality, and increase operating margins.
Nick is a servant leader, and his direct reports know that he is always interested in their individual success. As the finance leader, Nick interprets financial data to ensure the business model is financially viable, and that business investments generate acceptable returns. As Nick is “hands-on” repairing his motorcycle collection, or completing home improvement projects, no task is beneath him at Valutek. On the weekends, Nick takes great pleasure in spending time with his family.
Reach Nick directly at nkadlec@valutek.com or 602.761.2310.
Sharon Looi
Staff Accountant | Asia Office Manager
Based in Malaysia, Sharon has been invaluable to the Valutek team for over a decade. She handles the majority of financial matters in Asia, especially accounts payable and receivable. Sharon specializes in sending friendly reminders to clients and always ensures prompt payments. Outside of the office, her favorite pastime is to go sightseeing with family members.
Reach Sharon directly at slooi@valutek.com.
Daniel Preston
Staff Accountant
Originally from Seattle, Daniel earned an Associate degree from Bellevue College. He then re-located to Arizona in 2017 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting at Grand Canyon University while working full-time. At Valutek, in addition to executing daily accounting transactions, Daniel performs month-end closing and manages all financial reporting with precision and attention to detail. He is a strong team player who is willing and able to assist other departments based on business requirements. Daniel ensures that Valutek’s financial data inputs are audited and that the quality of our financial data is accurate and updated in real-time.
On the weekend, Daniel enjoys taking his dog Kevin on walks at the park and playing a round of golf. He is also active in both a 2-person and 4-person sand volleyball league.
Reach Daniel directly at dpreston@valutek.com.
Operations
Jose Hernandez
Warehouse Supervisor
Originally from Colorado, Jose has been the warehouse coordinator at Valutek for years. A seasoned and dedicated employee, Jose is the core of order fulfillment at Valutek as he does inventory receiving, order picking, and stock rotation. He also monitors all the raw material components required for manufacturing. Jose and his family reside in the East Valley of Arizona.
Reach Jose directly at jhernandez@valutek.com.
Nicholas Kadlec
Warehouse / Facilities Manager
Nicholas is responsible for overseeing all Valutek warehouse operations and facilities management, ensuring that the distribution center, production lines, and delivery routes run smoothly.
Outside of work, Nicholas relishes spending quality time with his dogs, Bailee and Barklee. He also enjoys attending concerts, local festivals, exploring new dining spots, and cherishing moments with his family and friends.
Reach Nicholas directly at nakadlec@valutek.com.
Michael Readeagle
Cleanroom Production Lead
Michael began in the Valutek warehouse in 2020 and proved to be a hard worker and willing to tackle any project. He specializes in cleanroom production and inventory management.
Reach Michael directly at mredeagle@valutek.com.
Renugaa Krishnan
Supply Chain Assistant
Renugaa brought her computer systems administration experience to Valutek when she joined the team. Originally hailing from Penang, she now serves as a Supply Chain Assistant, responsible for maintaining inventory levels, fulfilling orders, and liaising with suppliers. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music.
Reach Renugaa directly at rkrishnan@valutek.com.
Wei Wei Tan
Supply Chain Planner/Buyer
Wei Wei joined the Valutek team in 2023 and is the newest addition to the Malaysia-based office.
She is responsible for supply chain management, material costing, and maintaining all communication related to inventory planning, production, and logistics.
In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Reach Wei directly at wwtan@valutek.com.
Eric Montano
VMI On-Site Coordinator
Joining Valutek in 2023, Eric is the on-site coordinator for all local “Vendor Managed Inventory” customers—making sure they have the right product on hand at the right time to meet production needs.
When he is not on-site at a customer facility or on the road in a delivery truck, he assists the Valutek warehouse team with order fulfillment, production, and inventory management.
Reach Eric directly at emontano@valutek.com.
Customer Service
Patricia Van West
Customer Support Representative Lead
With a remarkable career spanning over 25 years, Patricia van West has established herself as a seasoned professional in the dynamic fields of IT distribution, customer service, and sales. Her journey in the technology industry has been characterized by an unwavering commitment to excellence, a profound understanding of customer needs, and a fervent passion for driving business success.
Throughout her career, Patricia has refined her skills in customer service and sales, recognizing that satisfied customers are the foundation of any thriving business. Her customer-centric approach has not only nurtured enduring relationships but has also made significant contributions to the growth and reputation of the organizations she has been a part of.
Beyond her professional achievements, Patricia is renowned for her leadership qualities, mentorship, and dedication to fostering a collaborative work environment. She has actively played a role in developing high-performing teams where innovation and efficiency go hand in hand.
Patricia resides in Chandler with her husband, Jerry, and her dog, Huntress. She has a deep love for traveling the world, a strong passion for photography, and a keen devotion to reading.
Reach Patty directly at orderdesk@valutek.com.
Priscila Camacho
Customer Service Representative
Priscila provides support in our Customer Service department and to our customers with professionalism, respect, kindness, and enthusiasm—she enjoys being supportive and helpful in any way she can.
Originally from Baja California, Mexico, Priscila completed a degree in International Business Administration in 2009 from Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. After marrying her husband, she moved to Phoenix and has lived here since 2015—now with addition of her lovely sons.
She is very excited to be part of the Valutek family, joining the team in 2023.
Reach Priscila directly at orderdesk@valutek.com.
Quality
Vijendraan Venkitasalam
Quality Manager
Based in the Malaysia office, VJ is a high-tech manufacturing consumable expert. He's been with Valutek for more than a decade and has held roles of increasing importance throughout the years. VJ has an extensive education in electric and electronic engineering and enjoys traveling and playing sports in his free time.
Reach VJ directly at vijen@valutek.com.
Sunny Wu
Quality Assurance Engineer
Sunny plays a crucial role in the Asia market as she leads on-site inspections for all apparel products manufactured in China. She excels at both improving product quality and reducing quality issues while also maintaining superior communication with multiple suppliers. Sunny enjoys playing badminton and rope in her leisure time.
Reach Sunny directly at swu@valutek.com.