CBS ArcSafe and our parent company Group CBS congratulate Russ Safreed on his upcoming retirement. Safreed has been the general manager at our West Virginia location since CBS ArcSafe acquired MarTek Limited in 2018.
”Russ’s engineering experience, passion for safety, and dedication to mentoring others are what made him a great co-worker and leader,” said Justin Gaull, Business Development Manager at CBS ArcSafe. “He will be missed as the manager of our WV manufacturing operations.”
Safreed contributed to the design of safety products used to remotely operate circuit breakers outside the arc-flash boundary for decades. Prior to the acquisition, Safreed was a co-owner of MarTek Limited, the company that invented the well-known remote pistol-grip switch actuator, which has been dubbed the Chicken Switch. Safreed was instrumental in the product’s development and success.
He began his engineering career as a co-op student with Virginia Power in 1983 before earning a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in 1987. He went on to gain a wide range of practical engineering experience.
Throughout the last 36 years, Safreed used his electrical engineering expertise to promote electrical safety at a number of different companies. In addition to co-owning MarTek Limited, Safreed worked for Union Carbide, Brown Electric, Aker Solutions, DuPont, and Group CBS. He was responsible for the operation of power distribution systems ranging from 480 V to 46,000 V and led the design of electrical projects for chemical manufacturing and power plants. He held positions covering all facets of industrial electrical systems — from designing substations and substation installation to the operation and maintenance of those stations.
We expect Safreed will continue to strive for safety in his retirement, using his new free time to further pursue his drag racing passion. For Safreed, drag racing is an engineering challenge that drives his desire to apply practical engineering principles. We can’t wait to see his 1200-horsepower Chevrolet Monte Carlo at the finish line.
From everyone at CBS ArcSafe and Group CBS, congratulations on your retirement, Russ!