Company
Offering Leading-Edge Equipment & Service
Founded in 1998, Pathfinder Systems offers leading-edge equipment with innovative technology geared toward providing high-quality concrete products. Pathfinder Systems has grown to include fully staffed sales and marketing departments, a stocked warehouse for local parts availability, and a service department of experienced industry professionals.
Our services range from providing replacement parts to developing full facility manufacturing solutions. We work alongside our customers to design, purchase, build and commission their concrete manufacturing plants and equipment. We also have considerable experience assisting our customers with their existing facility upgrades and retrofits.
Our Mission
By partnering with world-class engineering companies, we provide top-of-the-line concrete production machinery and automation to the United States and Canadian markets. As an industry leader, we are committed to providing the best after-sales service and support to both our customers and our vendors.
Vision
Building a sustainable future by utilizing concrete in every aspect of our communities’ construction. Concrete not only provides a safe and resilient surface for all types of building projects, but it also has the lowest cradle-to-grave environmental impact because of its longevity and carbon sequestration.
Our commitment to this goal includes providing automation, innovative ideas, service, and support while staying involved in the industry. A reliable, fast, and efficient production system helps reduce the cost of construction projects while also increasing supply, which in turn makes this material more adaptable to construction systems.
Empowering Our Customers to Be on the Leading Edge
We keep our customers updated on new concrete block, retaining wall, concrete slab and paver equipment from all over the world. Through this open communication channel, our customers can be assured that they will be the first to introduce new products for their market area that can’t be touched by their competitors.
A wide range of new concrete block and concrete paver products are already out there just waiting for someone to take advantage of the opportunity.
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1998
Exclusive Seller of TIGER Machine
50+
Facilities Built
250+
Machines Installed
1000s
Parts in Stock
Our Story
Pathfinder Systems got its start as TIGER Machine’s partner for the US and Canadian markets. Founder Larry Hilldore put together a dedicated sales and service team to support our clients as the company continued to grow beyond production and secondary processing equipment to include the full range of concrete manufacturing products.
Expanding Our Partnerships and Business
Pathfinder purchased MERTS batching equipment in 2014. MERTS, LLC is a high-end equipment manufacturer for ready mix facilities and specializes in designing and building batch plants.
We’ve partnered up with additional companies in the dry cast segment of the concrete industry including GMM, whose experience in stone machinery focuses on grinding, polishing and shaping concrete products and natural stone.
We rounded out our portfolio with Vollert, a full-service machine manufacturer for carousel precast panel manufacturing and hollow core/prestress slab manufacturing. This partnership extended Pathfinder’s portfolio to include proven manufacturing techniques and engineered solutions in the precast concrete industry.
B+S Manhole & Pipe Manufacturing specializes in and provides us with automated manhole manufacturing and molds for the precast industry.
Servicing both the precast and dry cast industries, CureTec offers the most advanced concrete curing systems available on the market today.
Meet the Team
Leadership
President
Larry Hilldore
Call: 616-283-2227
Send a Message: Email
Larry began as a cuber technician at Lithibar Matik in Holland, Michigan, and eventually grew to become the company’s president and owner. In 1998, Hilldore founded Pathfinder Systems by partnering with TIGER Machine based out of Okayama, Japan. In 2014, Hilldore acquired MERTS Batching Equipment as part of his partnership with TIGER. In addition to being a past member of the Young Presidents Organization, Larry is involved in the World Presidents Organization and is deeply involved in the ICPI-NCMA organizations.
VP of Sales & Marketing
Travis Hilldore
Call: 616-403-7174
Send a Message: Email
Travis has been in the concrete production equipment business since 2005. He is an expert in TIGER and GMM products, with experience in special R&D projects ranging from specialty materials, curing, product processing, product development and process improvement. Travis is very involved in ICPI-NCMA associations. Valuing leadership, he has gone through several extensive leadership development trainings.
He is married with two daughters, two cats and two dogs and enjoys traveling with family, boating, snowboarding and relaxing in the backyard with a fire and a bourbon.
Sales & Development
West Cost Regional Sales
Mark Yoakum
Call: (616) 502-7181
Send a Message: Email
Mark has been in the construction industry for his entire working career and has an in-depth masonry and manufacturing background. His construction experience includes building highrise structures, underground utilities and public work projects. Mark has had the opportunity to work with partners from around the world, creating amazing relationships and having wild adventures.
Mark has a wife and four children, with two grandchildren. He enjoys the outdoors in all forms and loves helping customers improve their performance.
Midwest Special Projects Regional Sales
Paul Wank
Send a Message: Email
Paul has been with Pathfinder for 15 years and has 45 years of experience in the concrete industry. He has experience in all aspects of concrete products manufacturing as a sales and service engineer, general manager and operations manager. He was also the president of Quality Concrete Products for 14 years. He now works part time for Pathfinder on special projects in the Midwest.
Midwest Sales Engineer
Todd Lambert
Call: (616) 283-8734
Send a Message: Email
Todd joined Pathfinder as our newest Midwestern Sales Engineer with an engineering degree from South Dakota State and over 25 years of sales experience. Todd has extensive experience in sales and engineering that will ensure clients succeed. He is dedicated to playing a strong role in the midwestern states and listening to and understanding clients’ needs. Prior to joining the Pathfinder team, Todd worked at Johnson Controls in sales and building solutions. He has experience in engineering, sales and the precast industry. Todd is focused on producing optimal sales opportunities for customers as well as ensuring their success and performance to continuously improve industry standards.
Director of Business Development - Precast
Dana Hook
Call: (779) 771-3586
Send a Message: Email
Dana’s communication with suppliers, both international and domestic, is an asset to the Precast Business Unit. Dana has over 30 years of sales, technical, leadership and project management experience, and an engineering background that began at Pennsylvania State University. His passion is to provide engineered solutions to meet the innovative needs of upgrading our clients’ operations. His strengths include ensuring client satisfaction, strategic planning, customer relations, technical aptitude, and evaluating and identifying customer needs.
Service Technicians & Support
Service Technician - Phone Support
Phil Neal
Call: (616) 283-1283
Send a Message: Email
Phil has been with Pathfinder since 1999, but his concrete knowledge goes back to 1972 following his days serving in the United States Air Force. He has knowledge in single and multi-machine plants, TIGER training and operating, and more. Phil understands the specifications of concrete products and how to best achieve them, enjoys motivating people by giving them the tools they need to succeed. Phil was a traveling service technician until 2017 and since then, with the knowledge he’s acquired since 1972, has switched to phone technical support for Pathfinder.
Service Technician
Neil Calvert
Call: (616) 283-1290
Send a Message: Email
Neil started in the service field in 1984 as a service technician at the same company that Larry Hilldore was working at. Neil joined Pathfinder in 1999. Although Neil specializes in electrical troubleshooting, as well as pneumatics and hydraulics, he is happy to handle any project and help wherever he is needed. Aside from troubleshooting, he enjoys helping customers understand equipment and become familiar with their new machines. Neil is happy to listen to customer concerns and assist in resolving them.
Service Technician & Installation Specialist
Steve Taggart
Call: (616) 610-9862
Send a Message: Email
Steve started his career in the concrete production and batching field in 1999. He is an expert in batching installation and assists with Pathfinder’s Service Training Program. He leads greenfield plant builds, is experienced in coordinating, project management, service and repairing equipment, and more. He provides extensive knowledge in the batching and installation field, ensures customers learn and succeed, and provides technical and service support generally in the Western US but will provide support throughout the US and Canada.
Service Technician
Brian Heishman
Call: (616) 741-6127
Send a Message: Email
Brian has worked in the concrete production field since 2007. He is experienced in concrete block production and equipment and plant management. He has a background as a leader in the Marine Corps which fuels his ambition to push businesses to succeed. Brian helps Pathfinder run a technical training program, assists in rebuilding and repairing equipment, uses diagnostic tools and software to determine a successful repair plan, and more. He provides extensive knowledge in the concrete production field, values leadership and teaching customers how to be comfortable with their equipment, and will provide technical support near or far in the US and Canada.
Quint Thocher
Project Manager
(616) 395-8447
Email
Toyota Keisuke
Service Technician
(616) 395-8447
Email
Hitoshi Harada
Service Technician
(616) 395-8447
Email
Parts Department
Bill Notier
General Manager
(616) 399-9099
Email
Bill Mulligan
Senior Parts Coordinator
(616) 283-1147
Email
Justin Notier
Operations Manager
(616) 566-1040
Email
Dan Grennan
Shipping & Receiving Manager
(616) 399-9099
Email
Sarah Newman
Customer Support Associate
(616) 399-9099
Email
Joe Dendel
Lead Parts Coordinator
(616) 399-9099
Email
Gary Johr
Parts Coordinator
(616) 399-9099
Email
Chris Buchheister
Parts Coordinator
(616) 377-9422
Email
Stephan Winkelmann
Parts Coordinator
(616) 399-9099
Email
Paula Strabbing
Accounting Administrative Assistant
(616) 399-9099
Email
Austin Ensing
Shipping & Receiving
(616) 399-9099
Email
Administration
Industry Associations
Pathfinder Systems is an active member of the National and Regional Dry Cast and Precast Associations representing the concrete industry.
National Associations
Regional Dry Cast Associations
Regional Precast Associations
