We’re excited to welcome Fred Dewees to the SPARK team as our newest Senior Mechanical Engineer!
Fred joins us after 15 years in mechanical engineering leadership, most recently as Mechanical Engineering Manager at Satisloh North America (a division of EssilorLuxottica). He brings deep experience in mechanical system design, mechanism design, and design for manufacturability.
Fred is an “engineer’s engineer.” Analytical, curious, and deeply collaborative, he’s happiest when he’s deep in a complex technical challenge, turning tricky problems into elegant, custom, manufacturable solutions. Fred is also someone who’s spent years as a product development client and knows firsthand what matters most on the other side of the table.
Fred’s experience engineering custom machines for the optical industry also makes him a valuable team member as SPARK continues to expand its work with Lab Equipment companies.
“He brings real-world insight, rigor, and empathy to the work,” says Shane Diller, Owner & Biomedical Engineer at SPARK. “He’s been in our clients’ shoes and understands what KPIs drive product success inside complex companies. But more than that, he’s a gifted mechanical engineer whose impact on our team and our clients will be immediate and lasting.”
Fred’s career began in the custom equipment space, designing highly engineered systems for the paper, film, and foil industry. His work spanned concept through build, and his reputation for precision and practicality earned him a rapid rise from Design Engineer to Principal Engineer in just eight years.
He later relocated to Virginia and spent the next 15 years leading mechanical engineering at Satisloh, where he worked closely with SPARK on multiple industrial design and engineering projects. That longstanding collaboration, Fred’s deep admiration for SPARK’s creative and communicative approach, and his desire to get back to hands-on work as part of a team, is what led him to join the team at SPARK. Fred will lead complex projects, guide clients through critical development decisions, and mentor emerging talent.
“I'm like a kid in a candy store,” Fred says. “I’ve admired SPARK’s work for a long time, and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and contribute. I’m excited to bring my experience as a client and learn from a team that’s as obsessed with good engineering as I am.”
Fred holds a mechanical engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife and stepdaughter and describes himself as a “serial hobbyist” who can go down a deep rabbit hole on anything from welding to bookbinding to insulation science.
We’re excited to welcome Fred as a member of the SPARK team, and eager for our clients to experience the depth of knowledge, expertise, and thoughtfulness he brings to his work.