Slade Gardner PhD

Dr. Slade Gardner is president of Slade Gardner Advanced Manufacturing and Materials LLC, a consulting firm focused on strategic planning, business opportunity case studies, technology development and special projects for customers seeking innovative solutions for manufacturing and materials. He has advised corporations, institutes, national laboratories and the US Government on strategy, priories and development needs on incorporation and industrial application for advanced manufacturing. His technical background includes equipment configuration, materials development and engineering transition from laboratory to factory to customer for: large additive manufacturing, composite structures, nanomaterials, and thermoplastic composites. Through these technical avenues he has reached product implementation for customer benefit greater than $500M. His technology insertions can be found on spacecraft, aircraft, sophisticated ground systems and are currently reaching into sporting goods, watercraft and motorsport. Previously Slade was a Fellow at Lockheed Martin Space Systems and also a Fellow at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in the Skunk Works division. Prior to that he was a research engineer at Amoco Carbon Fibers at the global R&D headquarters. His PhD in Chemical Engineering is from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he studied under fellowship from the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for High Performance Polymers and Composites. His BS in Chemical Engineering is from Lafayette College. Personal interests include traveling and dining with his wife, all seasons of mountain sports and he is an avid motorcycle enthusiast.