Company Leadership

USA Firmware leadership brings nearly 150 years of combined industry experience to its clients. With professional backgrounds rooted in engineering, company management, and finance, the USA Firmware leadership team provides a turnkey development experience for our clients, from project initiation to full scale launch.

Founded in 2011 by Bob Scaccia, USA Firmware has designed and engineered product innovations for hundreds of national and global brands. From Long Island to Los Angeles, from Grand Rapids to Houston, USA Firmware has worked in over 30 industries and leverages this experience to help their clients achieve a higher level of success with their commercial, consumer, industrial, mechanical and medical engineered products and IoT connected devices.

Bob Scaccia CEO of USA Firmware and thought-leader in firmware and embedded engineering

Bob Scaccia

Founder and CEO

Bob Scaccia is the Founder and CEO of USA Firmware, an award-winning engineering firm now in its 15th year and recognized multiple times on the Regional Inc. and National Inc. 5000 lists. With more than 40 years of experience in embedded systems engineering, product innovation, and leadership, Bob has built USA Firmware into a multi-million-dollar organization known for its engineering-first culture, strong client relationships, and designs that work the first time. A respected industry voice, Bob advocates for the critical role of firmware in modern product development and for cultivating the next generation of engineering talent. He also supports regional technology initiatives through his involvement with IoT Sandbox and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

Michael Kress leading management of firmware and embedded engineering teams

Michael A. Kress

President

Michael Kress brings 40 years of leadership in engineering and product development to his role as President of USA Firmware. Since joining the company in 2023, he has rapidly progressed into executive leadership, driving strategic growth while overseeing project delivery. A co-founder of Applied Vision, Michael helped grow the company into a global leader in machine vision systems. He has extensive experience across systems, hardware, and software engineering, contributing to hundreds of products and dozens of U.S. and international patents.

 

Suzanne Nebe Mullenhour leads firmware and embedded engineering talent solutions services

Suzanne Nebe Mullenhour

Vice President, Sales and Solutions Delivery

Suzanne Nebe Mullenhour brings over 20 years of experience partnering with internal and external stakeholders to design and deliver customized, talent-driven solutions. As Vice President of Sales and Solutions Delivery at USA Firmware, she excels at aligning the engineering expertise of USA Firmware, with the unique goals and objectives of organizations ranging from global enterprises to emerging startups. Suzanne’s collaborative approach bridges sales strategy, relationship management and workforce development—helping companies access the right talent and technology to accelerate innovation and growth.

Bill Merkel leads firmware and embedded engineering design services

Bill Merkel

Advisory Team, Board Member

Bill Merkel, former USA Firmware President and current Board Member, brings nearly 50 years of experience in product development, industrial automation, semiconductors, and electric vehicle charging innovation to this advisory role. His ability to drive meaningful business results along with his business development acumen have helped lead USA Firmware to significant growth and business momentum. Previously, Bill held positions at USA Firmware, Nidec Industrial Solutions, DynaMotors, Inc. and Keithley Instruments, Inc. He holds a B.E.E.E. from Youngstown State University and three U.S. patents.

Adam Sonnhalter headshot

Adam Sonnhalter

Advisory Team, Board Member

Adam serves as Board Member for USA Firmware and brings an extensive background in merger and acquisition transactions. Adam graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan with a BBA Degree in Finance and spent the next eight years as an investment banker on Wall Street for companies like Patricof & Co., BNY Capital Markets (a subsidiary of The Bank of New York), and Bear Stearns.

Rick Benson headshot

Rick Benson

Advisory Team, Board Member

Rick joined USA Firmware as a Board Member in 2019 and brings to the team over 37 years of experience in design and engineering management, earned from his former role as president of AVID Technologies, a successful design services firm. Rick holds a BS Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from SUNY of Buffalo and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University.