Dick Conley Bio
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Richard W. Conley, P.E.
Project Manager
Kerotest Manufacturing Corp.
Dick Conley has worked as an engineer for over forty years, thirty-four of them at Kerotest. To say his initial career was a battle would be an understatement. He graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (today’s Carnegie-Mellon University) in 1966, entered the Army Corp. of Engineers as a commissioned officer and served two years that included thirteen combat months in Vietnam where he was awarded a Bronze Star.
He joined Westinghouse in 1968 where he developed and procured valves for the Navy’s nuclear propulsion system and in 1971 went to work for Rockwell International’s Flow Control Division where he designed, developed and received the patent for the company’s “Equilwedge” line of gate valves.
Kerotest hired him in 1974 as a Senior Design Engineer. He was soon promoted to Manager, Research & Development and later to Manager, Research & Engineering. His accomplishments included overseeing the development of new products that included a bellows sealed valve line that led directly to a multi-million dollar order. As General Manager of the Vacuum Products Business Unit, he successfully worked to introduce and expand Kerotest products to this vital market. Rounding out his company experience that led to his next position was a four year assignment in sales and marketing.
As Chief Engineer, Dick was responsible for all product enhancements and new product development, chaired our patent committee, serves on the Quality Council, and is also a key member of the company’s Strategic Planning and New Product Development teams.
Dick represents Kerotest and participates in the development of national codes and standards at ASME, ASTM, the American Gas Association Plastic Materials Committee and for the Plastic Pipe Institute. He is asked to review ISO standards related to plastic products, has held officer positions within ASTM including Chair of Subcommittee F17.60-Gas. Dick also serves on the executive committee of the Pittsburgh section, ASME, which honored him as Engineer of the Year.
Dick was and is instrumental in the development and manufacture of Kerotest polyethylene ball valves, including the startup and continuing operations of the company’s facility in Mansura, Louisiana that produces the line. He approved all the technical work from the Mansura plant, directly supervised the technical staff at our Pittsburgh facility and prepared and managed the development budget for the entire company.
Dick holds twenty US and foreign patents for valves and other flow control devices, has received the Award of Merit from the American Gas Association, and is a published author of numerous white papers, articles and book chapters.
Dick was recently elected to the grade of Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME.)
He is currently on a special assignment for Kerotest to start-up and manage a new manufacturing facility in the Pittsburgh region. He and his staff are developing and manufacturing large volumes of six unique lines of specialty valves for critical vacuum applications. He is currently managing a work force in excess of seventy persons.
Dick and his wife Lorraine live in Gibsonia, PA. Theyhave four children.