Avadi Engines

Raised in an entrepreneurial family that focused primarily on real estate investment, Landon grew two complimentary businesses in real estate investment and construction (primarily industrial and commercial paint contracting), ultimately transacting over $18,000,000 in business since 2013. His companies operated across several states and he has traveled the US extensively to supervise the various teams for the previous decade. His passion and vision for the company has resulted in some of the key breakthroughs over the first year since he joined the team. Landon works full-time in the company.

Michel's has spent his adult life developing, designing and manufacturing engines and specialty parts. He is a gifted designer and machinist and has self-manufactured nearly every part for the Avadi engine. He conceptualized the basic design for this project more than two decades ago and began prototype activity more than ten years ago. Michel is a skilled CAD and 3D designer and has drawn and manufactured a large number of custom small engines and related parts, primarily for internal combustion powered UAV aircraft as well as motorcycles. He’s also designed and built many performance-based custom engine parts and specialized exhaust systems, typically for racing motorcycles. Michels career has spanned nearly 40 years in the design, machining, manufacturing and production of products and parts for a variety of industries. Mecachrome Technologies, where Michel spent a portion of his professional career, is a French company with far-reaching subsidiaries in high precision manufacturing. Michel worked in a division that developed and manufactured specialty parts for the Renault Formula One racing team. During Michels’ time at Montupet, Inc. he oversaw the manufacturing of, and pre-delivery tolerance inspection for, the Chevrolet, Corvette LS-1 engine block, a performance-based variation of General Motors legendary small-block V8 engine. His tenure at Bombardier of Canada was spent in the development and production of small engines and related parts for a variety of machines and off-road vehicles manufactured by Bombardier. The innovation of the Avadi engine at the center of company, has been a decades-long project for Michel, and the partnership with Wilkinson has seen it become a functioning, mechanical reality. Michel has designed and built two operational and tested prototypes during the six years with Quebec Engine Technologies. Further refinements are taking place actively to bring the engine to market. Michel works full-time in the company.

Russ heads the entirety of The Wilkinson Family of Companies and is a central figure in the financial and corporate oversight for Avadi Engines. He has been involved in the construction, rehabilitation, and ownership of rental investment properties for more than 30 years, launching his entrepreneurial career at 17 as a painting contractor to help pay for college. He founded Wilkinson Corporation in 1991. He has also been closely involved in many of his family’s other business ventures. Russ is a board member at his home church and has been very involved in the local branches of the Red Cross and Rotary International for several years. Russ is a board member and spends 2-4 hrs per week on Avadi Engines business.

Lonnie searches for and develops new business opportunities with the Wilkinson Family of Companies’ 360 Impact focus, increasing the positive impact on people and the planet, including his oversight and direction role with Avadi Engines. Lonnie also presents on building strong, multigenerational family legacy. Previously, he served as WC’s president and oversaw the company’s expansion into the senior living market. Prior to joining WC, he was cofounder/chair and president of two strategic management and executive coaching firms for leaders around the country. Lonnie’s passion is developing effective leaders who build organizations that have a lasting, multigenerational impact on society. His journey of learning to maximize impact in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors led him to author the transformational book, Beyond Business, How Your Company Can Build a Better World. Lonnie is a board member and spends 2-4 hrs per week on Avadi Engines business.

Taylor provides a unique mix of skills, experience, and knowledge, having worked in multiple industries and his role as CFO for Avadi Engines is crucial. Prior to joining WC, Taylor served as CFO of Heritage University in Toppenish, WA. During his tenure there, he achieved annualized expense reductions of $5.3 million and improved NOI by over $3.3 million, while implementing processes that improved accuracy and timing of departmental budgets and financial statements. Before Heritage University, he held the roles of senior administrator and director of finance and accounting at Regency Pacific Management, LLC in Bellevue, WA, where he successfully reduced expenses, improved revenue and overall profitability, and implemented software and process improvement solutions to improve accounting workflow and efficiencies. Taylor holds an MBA from Washburn University (Topeka, KS) and a Bachelor of Science degree in management information systems from Brigham Young University. He is also fluent in Spanish. Taylor works 2-4 hrs per week on Avadi Engines finances.

Dale began his tenure with the Wilkinson Family of Companies in 1984 and has been involved with several entrepreneurial projects during that time. Most notably, more than 14 years with Destinations, Inc., a retail sales division of the membership-based Quest International Hotel Savings Program, started by the Wilkinson Family in the early eighties, and another 15 years with real estate investment firm, Wilkinson Corporation, who is the funding source for the QET/Avadi Engine Project. His work and public relations skills have brought world-class companies well-entrenched in the small engine marketplace to the table including Kohler (generators), Ariens (lawn & garden equipment), Blueline Manufacturing (specialized farm equipment designer-manufacturer), Snorkel/Extreme Manufacturing (elevated work platforms), and others. Dale works full-time in the company.

Dorian brings machining experience and expertise to Avadi’s R&D efforts. Having trained at Perry Technical Institute—one of the top tech schools in the United States, where he finished at the top of his class with a 3.97GPA—he was promptly hired by a metal-works production company, Stephens Metal Products, Inc. in Yakima, Washington. He quickly gained a reputation for blueprint-to-CNC parts manufacturing, workflow efficiency capabilities, writing programs to turn manual jobs into production-level efficiency tasks, as well as CNC mill and lathe setup. His role as shop supervisor has been critical in Avadi setting up the new R&D, fabrication and engine test facility in Yakima. He continues to prove his worth in both operating and training as the Avadi team continues adding new equipment to expand capabilities. Dorian has a passion for aviation and is licensed as a single-engine flight instructor— endorsed to fly tailwheel, high-performance, and technologically advanced aircraft—which brings general engine knowledge with an eye towards the importance of reliability. His experience in solving complex engineering-based mathematical problems, as both a machinist and pilot, is an important skill to have available to the Avadi team. Dorian is a part time employee with the company, with a flexible work schedule depending on workload.