John
J. Simmons
A
native of Ironwood, Michigan, Mr. Simmons learned the basics
of business at the age of ten with two paper routes, and by
the age of thirteen he was operating five Sunday paper selling
locations. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Michigan Tech
in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering.
While at MTU, he was a four-year member and captain of the
Michigan Tech boxing team, and was a member of Alpha Sigma
Mu and the Tau Beta Pi and Blue Key National Honor Societies.
Upon graduation, Mr. Simmons worked in the iron ore industry
in Minnesota for six years as a plant manager and as the leader
of a team that worked on the successful development of heavy
media and cyclone iron ore beneficiation technologies. He
then formed his own engineering company, Simmons and Associates,
developing technology for such clients as Kennecott Copper
Corporation, United States Steel Corporation, and the Ethyl
Corporation.
Moving
to North Dakota in 1969, Mr. Simmons managed several major
construction projects until he returned to his own engineering
firm to develop technology that would be the basis for the
formation of Carbontec Energy Corporation and Thermo Technologies,
LLC. Chairman and CEO of Carbontec and Thermo Technologies,
Mr. Simmons has more than a dozen patents in areas such as
energy, coal, wood products, chemicals, and oil spill cleanup.
Carbontec’s synthetic coal technology is used to produce
more than 12 million tons of synthetic coal per year, while
Thermo Technologies develops and markets super absorbent fire
retardant polymers for the fire suppression and fire protection
industry.
An
Air Force veteran, John is a member of the American Institute
of mining and Metallurgical Engineers and is on the Board
of Directors of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.
He received the North Dakota Entrepreneur of the Year Award
from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota in 2005.
John resides with his wife of 52 years, Nancy, in Naples,
Florida. |
