Ron Soult brings more than two decades of experience in controls engineering, systems integration, project leadership, and operational excellence to Optimized Lines. As Executive Vice President, Ron helps guide the company’s strategic vision while ensuring customers receive practical, effective solutions that improve production performance and deliver measurable results.
For Ron, manufacturing and production systems have always been part of life. Growing up, he was exposed to the industry through his father’s 30-plus-year career with Crown Simplimatic, developing an early appreciation for the people, equipment, and processes that keep production facilities running.
His technical foundation was built during eight years of service in the United States Air Force, where he worked with both industrial and high-voltage electrical systems. The experience developed his discipline, troubleshooting abilities, and commitment to solving complex problems under demanding conditions—skills that continue to influence his leadership style today.
After returning to Virginia, Ron joined Alliance Industrial as a technician in the panel shop. Under the mentorship of Optimized Lines founder Pete Connor, he quickly advanced into electrical engineering, spending six years designing and implementing controls solutions for production systems.
From there, his career continued to evolve through increasingly advanced leadership and engineering roles, including:
Throughout his career, Ron has supported some of the world’s most recognized manufacturers across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, brewing, and distilled spirits industries, including:
His experience spans controls engineering, systems integration, plant startups, automation architecture, commissioning, troubleshooting, project leadership, and team development.
Some of Ron’s most valuable professional experiences have come from leading large-scale production line startups and integration projects.
“Some of the most meaningful experiences have come from being part of major plant startups. Those types of projects are challenging, but they also create strong relationships with customers and team members. There is a special bond that comes from being in the field together, solving problems in real time, and doing whatever it takes to get a line running successfully.”
Having spent years in manufacturing facilities during startups, upgrades, and troubleshooting events, Ron understands the realities plant teams face when production targets, schedules, and customer commitments are on the line.
That firsthand perspective allows him to connect technical decisions directly to operational outcomes and business performance.
As Executive Vice President, Ron’s role extends beyond engineering. He works closely with leadership, customers, and the technical team to help transform the company’s vision into scalable systems, repeatable processes, and sustainable growth.
His focus includes:
A major part of Ron’s leadership is ensuring that Optimized Lines remains grounded in practical execution. Whether helping develop internal systems, supporting customer projects, or refining the EMPOWER™ Capacity Recovery System, his priority is making sure solutions work not only in theory, but in real-world production environments.
For Ron, joining Optimized Lines represents more than a professional opportunity—it represents a return to the people and principles that helped launch his career.
“This opportunity feels like my career has come full circle. Pete gave me an opportunity many years ago to move into this field, and now I have the chance to be part of what he is building at Optimized Lines. It feels like I am back home, where I belong.”
What makes Ron’s perspective unique is the breadth of his experience—from technician to engineer, from field startup specialist to executive leader. He understands how production systems are designed, integrated, commissioned, optimized, and supported throughout their lifecycle.
At Optimized Lines, Ron helps ensure that every engagement reflects the company’s core mission: helping manufacturers recover lost capacity, improve operational performance, and build stronger, more capable organizations without unnecessary capital investment.
