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About Us

Specialized solutions for Food & Beverage.

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Founded in 1996, InLine provides high-volume production engineering expertise which encompasses virtually every sector of the industry, from baking to frozen foods, meat production, cheese, dairy, savory snacks, and beverages, including distilled spirits. We are a team of experts in bulk handling, processing, packaging systems, and sanitary design, including FDA food safety compliance.

 

Whether a project is multifaceted or a small modification, we shape our services to meet our customers’ needs. Working as an extension of your team, we develop and execute solutions that deliver greater efficiencies and a high return on investment.

 

With a roster of high-profile customers, including a number of Fortune 200 companies, our team of engineering, CAD designers, construction managers and project management professionals is committed to helping our food and beverage manufacturing customers meet their production and food technology objectives. Food & Beverage process and packaging engineering and food plant project management is our singular focus – day in and day out.

 

In 2018, InLine became part of the Gray family of brands when fully integrated services provider Gray announced its acquisition of InLine Engineers. Each company’s commitment to their customer base as well as the similar values of the companies brought them together to complement each other’s business interests.

Meet the Team

  • Mike Jacobs
    President - Mike Jacobs served as Senior Program Manager and Director of Business Development for InLine since 2021. He became President of InLine in October of 2023. He brings a wealth of food & beverage experience to this role with over 30 years building and leading global organizations within companies like Nestlé Waters and The Coca-Cola Co.
  • Gregg Coleman
    Vice President, Strategic Initiatives - Gregg began his career in the food manufacturing industry with Bremner, Inc., a subsidiary of Ralcorp (Ralston Purina) and served four years as a Project Engineer and Maintenance Manager. He later became Vice President of Engineering at ATI, Inc., which engineered and constructed printed circuit board handling and conveyance for the electronics industry. After six years at ATI Gregg founded InLine Automation Group in 1996. He currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives after stepping down as President in October of 2023. Gregg holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.
  • Macaire Benson
    Director, Technical Services Electrical & Design - Macaire is a highly accomplished former Director of Operations and Engineering and Plant Manager with an MBA and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from West Point. She has a strong background in capital project management including new product introductions.
  • Rahul Nehete
    Director, Technical Services Processing - Rahul is a versatile engineering professional with nearly a decade of experience with InLine. With a journey that began as a Project Engineer in 2014, Rahul has steadily advanced into a leadership role at InLine. As Director, Rahul provides stable leadership to our Cincinnati team, fostering growth and innovation. His unique blend of technical proficiency and business acumen plays a vital role in our organization's successes. Throughout his tenure, Rahul has consistently demonstrated his expertise in engineering and capital project management. As a Project Manager, he effectively guided multiple projects to successful completion, always mindful of project parameters. In 2021, he relocated to Cincinnati and took on additional responsibilities, showcasing his adaptability and commitment. Rahul holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from India and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky. Rahul also holds an MBA, rounding out his skill set with a strong foundation in business and leadership.
  • Gary Garfield
    Director, Technical Services Packaging - Gary joined Inline in 2019 as a Senior Program Manger after a long-distinguished career with Kellogg's in Battle Creek, Michigan. He held various management and engineering roles while with Kellogg's. Gary is an accomplished engineering leader with expertise in innovation, productivity, and manufacturing.
  • Mike Poterek
    Director, Project Management—Mike is a technical leader whose expertise focuses on engineering and project management in the food and beverage industry. He has gained a wide range of experience over the past 20 years, including wet processing, dairy, frozen food, beverage/brewing, dry packaging, automation, civil/structural, utilities, and warehousing. Prior to joining InLine Engineers, Mike delivered results for leading food and beverage organizations such as The Boston Beer Company, Nestlé, and General Mills. With his strong manufacturing acumen, Mike brings first-hand knowledge of clients’ needs and a true understanding of their expectations. Mike holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton and a Master of Engineering Management from Northwestern University. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Unit Operations

 

Bulk ingredient handling Bottling
Handling combustible dust Form, fill, seal
Mixing, blending Pouch filling, bag-in-box
Thermal processing Canning
Pasteurization Accumulation
Grinding, forming, linking Cartoning
Trimming, skinning, slicing Case packing
Various cooking methods Check weighing, metal detection
Retorts Palletizing
Baking, frying Hygienic zoning
Cooling, freezing Liquid storage and distribution
Aseptic filling Custom sanitary skids, design and build
Precision dosing

 

 

 

InLine Engineers is a Gray company.

InLine provides engineering, process improvement, and planning services for Food & Beverage leaders. In 2018, InLine joined the Gray family to complement its Food & Beverage offering. As a Gray company, we help customers transform their operations to maximize their ROI.