About PEC Consulting Group
History
PEC Consulting is the subsidiary of PENTA Engineering Corporation specializing in the preparation of a wide range of studies for the minerals industries, including cement, lime, coal, coal ash, sand, other building materials, as well as metallurgical processes. We do this for owners, financial institutions, private investors, and government agencies. The satisfaction of our clients is proof of our solid history of dedication, knowledge, and high-quality services backed up by a very skilled workforce of senior consultants and specialists.
Leadership
PEC Consulting is recognized worldwide as a valued leader and trusted consultancy source for the Minerals Industries. The strong organization we have today is due to solid management practices, organizational ability and teamwork, a highly qualified workforce, specialization and above all our clients’ satisfaction with the results of our work.
Management
Mr. Benavides has extensive experience in management, engineering and construction. He has conducted bankable feasibility studies, financial evaluations, plant valuations for acquisitions and for financing purposes, and due diligence studies. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, a BS and Professional Degree in Civil Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology, and has completed Graduate Studies in Engineering Management and Environmental Engineering at Missouri University of Science & Technology.
Mr. Hadziselimovic has over 25 years of experience in mechanical engineering design, project coordination and management. As a Senior Managing Consultant at PEC Consulting Group, he is responsible for high-level consulting assignments. During a 4-year tenure as Chief Mechanical Engineer at PENTA, he was responsible for the performance of the mechanical engineering team on various studies and projects for cement, lime, mining, minerals, and recycling industries. His experience also includes applications engineering for a Midwest-based manufacturer of heavy industrial equipment. Mr. Hadziselimovic has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in multiple U.S. states and holds a Project Management Professional Certification.
Consultants
Dr. José Ignacio Escavy has over 20 years of experience in mining of industrial minerals. He has hands-on experience in exploration, investigation, deposits modeling, reserves calculation, mine planning, reclamation, and closure of quarries. He has served as Manager of the Quality and Environmental Department and Quarries Manager of large cement production facilities. Dr. Escavy has been a presenter at many international conferences and publisher of scientific and technical publications on evaluation and design of mining deposits. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French. His credentials include a Degree in Geology from the University of Madrid, Spain (5-year program); M. Sc. in Minerals Resources from the University of Cardiff, U.K.; Ph.D. in Industrial Minerals from the University of Madrid, Spain; and, Geological Research Accreditation, University of Madrid, Spain.
Mr. Phagan is an accomplished professional who for 40 years has worked in operations for the lime industry. During his career, he has gained knowledge and expertise in the process, design, operations management, and strategic planning for the manufacture of quicklime and its derivatives. His technical expertise includes plant design, selection of process equipment, operations improvement, plant personnel and equipment evaluations, due diligence analysis and construction & commissioning services for the lime industry. Mr. Phagan earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Saint Leo University, Tampa, FL.
Mr. Smith has over 30 years of experience in engineering, preparation of capital cost estimates, purchasing and expediting, construction management, operational planning, scheduling, and cost control for mining projects. He has prepared numerous capital cost and design/build estimates, project scheduling and tracking for cement, lime, and the mining industries. Prior to joining PENTA, he was Chief Engineer and Acting Mine Manager for Getchell Gold and Independence Mining, NV. He attained a BS in Mining Engineering and a BS in Geological Engineering from the University of Missouri, Rolla.
Mr. Benavides has over 20 years of experience in banking, consulting, project management, digital transformation, and financial risk management. His expertise includes managing all aspects of consulting projects, from design and planning to execution and reporting. His extensive financial services experience includes financial analysis, integration management, operational & sales transformation and organizational development. He has managed projects throughout the US, Europe and Latin America. Mr. Benavides is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and has an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain.
Mr. Boutaugh has over 35 years of experience in planning, scheduling, and execution of projects in the coal industry. His expertise includes managing all aspects of design and construction. His extensive mining experience in coal mines and limestone quarries includes mine plans, material handling, ventilation, quality control, blasting, and management of mining operations. Mr. Boutaugh is a member of SME, ASME, and ASCE. Mr. Boutaugh is a certified MSHA instructor, and has Foreman Certification in Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio; he is also certified in Illinois as a Mine Manager, Examiner and Shot-firer. Mr. Boutaugh holds a BS in Mining Engineering from West Virginia University.
Mr. Clavijo is an accomplished executive with expertise in process optimization for increasing production yields. Thirty-seven years of professional background in various areas of the cement industry have equipped Mr. Clavijo with impressive knowledge and skills which make him an advantageous contributor to PEC Consulting Group. Prior to joining PENTA as a Senior Consultant, he served as Technical Manager, Plant Manager, Project Engineer, and Plant and Quarry Engineer for Cementos ARGOS in Colombia. As Plant Manager, he was responsible for investment projects to increase production, addressing the individual challenges of each facility and reducing production costs in various areas of the plants. In addition to his depth of knowledge in the cement industry, Mr. Clavijo has vast experience with management for expanding existing facilities and in the investment decision-making for new installations. Mr. Clavijo attained a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad del Atlántico-Barranquilla, Colombia.
Mr. Vlaytchev is proficient in detailed engineering design for new construction, upgrades, conversions, and evaluations of structures for projects worldwide. He has over 20 years of experience in the design of steel and concrete structures for industrial projects. He has designed a wide range of structures such as pre-heater towers, silos, mill foundations and buildings, ductwork and material handling systems. Mr. Vlaytchev earned a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Structural Engineering from the Higher Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Mr. Jayaraman has over 48 years of experience in the cement industry with expertise in plant conceptualization, layout, various operating systems, process calculations, production optimization, and Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) based power projects for cement and lime plants. He has led several studies to estimate realistic waste heat for power generation. He has had in-depth exposure to the technical, economic, and commercial aspects of large cement projects, and extensive experience in the upgrade and optimization of existing plants. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
Ms. Tang has ten years’ experience in capital projects’ management, project design, and implementation of mineral processing equipment. At PEC Consulting, she is responsible for the process engineering requirements for the development of feasibility studies for the minerals industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Mr. Diaz is an Industrial Engineer. Prior to joining PEC Consulting, he worked in mine operations analyzing data to recommend improvements to operating efficiencies and related cost reductions. With PEC Consulting, he has been involved in the preparation of feasibility studies for the cement industry. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Peru, and an MBA from Lindenwood University, Missouri.
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