Meet the Team
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Steve Cook
Steve Cook is the founder and manages the business in addition to providing design and consulting services. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Missouri S&T and over 30 years of experience in the food industry. He lives with his wife Patricia on the Western slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
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Jenna Means
Jenna is the Lead Engineer. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering from The University of Kansas and has over 10 years of experience working in the personal care, pharmaceutical and food industries. She lives in Lenexa, Kansas with her husband and two kids.
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Andrew Stassel
Andrew is a Process Designer who studied at Ozarks Technical Community College and graduated with two degrees, Drafting and Design as well as Machine Tool Technology. He lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife, two kids and a dog. Hobbies include bowling, fishing, and target shooting.
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Don Henley
Don is a Process Designer and 3D Scan Technician. He studied Drafting, Design, and Engineering at Missouri Southern State University. He lives in Joplin, Missouri with his wife and four kids and enjoys spending time outdoors and woodworking.
Our History
Cook Process Solutions, LLC was formed out of Steve Cook’s desire to work personally with owners and managers to optimize their food plant production. Utilizing his experience and expertise in sanitary process systems, Steve consults, designs and leads projects throughout the food manufacturing industry.
Learning the business from the ground up is part of Steve’s heritage as he watched his father, Jim Cook, start Central States Industrial in his garage with just a Lincoln welder and some hand tools. Steve’s experience with food process systems began while working part-time for his dad as a pipe fitter and polisher.
After serving as an air crewman in the United States Marine Corps, Steve completed his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly known as the University of Missouri – Rolla). His engineering experience began at Paul Mueller Company as a design engineer in their pure water division.
In 1990, Steve joined Central States Industrial full-time as a salesman and project engineer promoting specialty equipment and process piping projects in the food and dairy industry. Throughout the next eighteen years, his responsibilities grew as the company’s sales expanded from $1 million to $30 million. Steve was involved in company management, but was chiefly responsible for food process piping projects. These projects were managed and designed under Steve’s leadership, design and engineering. Over the years, his expertise grew and he moved into consulting and training.
In 2008, Steve began Cook Process Solutions, LLC, a consulting and design firm focusing on the food industry. Applying his skills and knowledge to provide innovative solutions, he serves some of the leading food companies in the world.
Steve lives in Ouray County, Colorado with his wife Patricia and chocolate Lab Sunshine. He travels throughout the United States on business, but in his free time enjoys the outdoors—anything from landscape photography, hiking and four-wheeling to skiing and snowmobiling in the Rocky Mountains.