RES Member Profile - Bill Pollock, PE

RES History

RES member since 1990

RES Director 2000-2005

RES Engineer of the Year 2001

Experience

2021-present: General Manager Rochester at Re:Build Optimation Technology

1985-2021: Founder, President and CEO of Optimation Technology

1985-1989: Associate Professor of Engineering Technology at Alfred State College

1973-1985: Senior Controls Engineer at Eastman Kodak

Education

BS/ME in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Licensed Professional Engineer in New York and North Carolina

Organizations & Groups

Control System Integrators Assoc. - Founding member since 2001

NYS Society of Professional Engineers - Member since 1987

Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association - Board Member/ President 2015-2021

WXXI Trustee 2010-2013

High Tech Business Council of GRE - Board Member/Director 2001-2008

Rochester Business Alliance – Board Member 2007-2010

Keshequa Central School – Board Member President 1988 1993

Town of Granger (Allegany County) Board of Assessment Review – Member and Chairman 1987 - present

Honors & Awards

Engineer of the Year (RES) 2001

Vanden Brul Award as Entepreneur of the Year (RIT) 2010

Finalist for Business Person of the Year (SBC of RBA) 2013

RPI Athletic Hall of Fame, Track & Cross County 1989

Professional Highlight

Bill founded Optimation to provide engineering services for industrial and manufacturing applications during a time when most engineering firms were focused on roads, bridges, building and infrastructure. Optimation expanded to industrial design and fabrication services when they purchased the construction division from Kodak in 2006. More recently Bill helped to transition the ownership of Optimation to Re:Build Manufacturing. Re:Build has the business plan to restore manufacturing to the United States. Optimation is happy to be part of a much larger and growing organization with a shared vision. In addition to historic clients in chemical, food, pharmaceutical, glass, oil and gas and more established industries, Optimation is now focused heavily in industries related to the green energy revolution. Major projects include hydrogen, carbon capture, lithium batteries, wind and solar. Optimation has built millions of dollars in systems to generate green hydrogen, test fuel cell, convert methane to methanol, and assemble lithium batteries. The theme of the Olympics in Japan for 2020 (which didn't happen) was Sustainability and they wanted to have a jet fly-over with jets fueled by farm waste. OTI was commissioned to create a distillation system to convert farm waste into jet fuel. In partnership with GE, OTI built the world’s largest 3D printer. The unit was designed to print a concrete tower 65 feet tall to position the windmill higher and increase the power generated. There is a rush to invest and build green infrastructure and Re:Build Optimation is a part of it.

Interests & Hobbies

Running - Bill has always enjoyed running. He started running in marathons when he was 64. He’s run 16 marathons including running the Boston Marathon 8 times.

Bill and his wife live in an underground house he designed and built himself (with the help of all of his friends). It includes all the energy savings technology available when he built it 40 years ago.

Bill is converting a 1951 Dodge Pickup to an EV. He’s watched hundreds of youtube videos and searched dozens of websites for the parts and pieces he needs on the project.

Quote

Life will have its up and downs. Just remember that failure is never final. There is always a hypothetical possibility that everything will turn out fine.