Alumni Spotlight

PATH OF A WARRIOR Alumni Spotlight

2009 ALUM PROUDLY BRINGS HIS INNOVATIVE MOTOR TECHNOLOGY TO INDIANA TECH

Destined for a Partnership

Ron Ballman is the CEO of Adventech, a Florence, Alabama-based company committed to developing innovative technologies and devices for 21st century industry. Adventech’s hallmark product is its MaxEff electric motor, a high-performance inductive motor that is appealing to companies because of its cost-saving efficiency.

Ron is also an Indiana Tech graduate, having earned a business administration degree in 2009.

Back in late 2020 while reading the fall issue of Indiana Tech Magazine, Ron was riveted by a story about the then-new, state-of-the-art motors laboratory in Dr. Zak Al-Hamouz’s electrical engineering department. From there, it didn’t take long for a relationship to form.

“I reached out to Dr. Al-Hamouz, introduced myself and my company, and asked if he would like to have some of the Adventech motors for students to use in his lab,” Ron said. “When I delivered the motors, we discussed the Zollner Engineering Center expansion and renovation project, and I suggested we find a way to implement Adventech technology so that the university could be on the cutting edge as well as save utility costs.”

What resulted was Adventech donating eight brand new motors to the university—four for use in the lab and four to move hot and cold running water to the students in Pierson Hall.

In January, members from Ron’s Adventech team traveled to Fort Wayne to collaborate with Indiana Tech’s Department of Buildings and Grounds on the Pierson installation. The new motors are expected to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient than the motors they replaced. Ron and his team will be back this spring to capture some performance data, compare it to historic readings and share the results with Dr. Al-Hamouz and his students.

“How fortuitous was it that one year after Adventech partners with MaxEff, the world’s most disruptive motor technology, Indiana Tech opens a state-ofthe-art motor lab? I feel we were destined for a partnership,” Ron said. “Dr. Al-Hamouz is a remarkable professor and has been a fantastic partner. Adventech engineers have enjoyed working with him and all the students that participated in the testing process.”

“Indiana Tech was instrumental in my professional development, and I simply want to show my appreciation through sharing—sharing in a way that may influence future alumni to seek their own purpose or path through life.”

MaxEff motors, made by Adventech, have been installed to move hot and cold water through Pierson Hall. These motors are 25 to 30 percent more efficient than the motors they replaced.

So, what makes MaxEff the world’s most disruptive motor technology? It’s all about efficiency. When combined with the Adventech Soft Start, a MaxEff motor can start and stop without experiencing a high inrush current and operate at a cooler temperature. They feature an induction motor circuit, but unlike traditional electric motors, MaxEff motors have a built-in, all-in-one induction generator circuit. This twocircuit design uses the same magnetic field, rotor and stator to produce more shaft power than similar induction electric motors. It also allows the motor to compensate the grid that feeds it, eliminating any waste of energy.

“The journey from proof of concept to global disruptor is arduous but equally as rewarding,” Ron said. “And we want Indiana Tech to be intertwined with us on our journey.”

So much so that the roughly 540 miles that separate Adventech and Indiana Tech doesn’t seem to be a big deal to Ron. He likes the idea of having the university as a direct pipeline for engineering talent.

“Indiana Tech and Adventech are partners in many ways,” Ron said. “Indiana Tech tests our technology in a controlled environment. Indiana Tech teaches engineers about our technology. Our technology is part of the Indiana Tech infrastructure, providing savings for the university and creating awareness for students of what is possible. Adventech needs top quality candidates to grow effectively and there is no better resource for that talent than Indiana Tech.”

Ron also indicated that the Ballman Family Foundation is establishing an endowed scholarship for Indiana Tech students and is looking forward to doing more philanthropic projects with the university in the future.

“Having the opportunity to find professional success has blessed me with the financial freedom that affords philanthropic endeavors,” Ron said. “Indiana Tech was instrumental in my professional development, and I simply want to show my appreciation through sharing—sharing in a way that may influence future alumni to seek their own purpose or path through life. Sometimes all it takes for a student to believe in themselves is to know that someone else believes in them and is willing to invest in their future.”