You may recognize their voices from a phone call.
You may have seen their names on an email, a quote, a test-wash report, or a machine drawing.
You may have talked with them about oil, chips, production rates, load sizes, wash pressure, filtration, rinse stages, drying requirements, or a part that simply refuses to come clean.
But how well do you really know the people behind the quote?
The Renegade sales team includes David Barney, President; Trent Barney, Sales Manager; Sean McFerren, Sales Engineer; Derek Tylka, Project Sales Engineer; and George Strapko, Senior Sales Engineer.
Together, they bring more than 100 years of combined experience at Renegade and in the parts-washing industry. Their expertise reaches across aviation and aerospace, engine building, precision machining, metal casting, mining, remanufacturing, marine repair, fleet maintenance, railroad operations, and many other industries.
They have helped customers clean everything from everyday repair components to complex production parts with blind holes, internal passages, strict cleanliness requirements, and highly specialized handling needs.
As Renegade’s founder and president, David remains an important part of the sales process, providing application knowledge, supporting complex projects with his 40+ years of experience, and helping guide the team’s practical, customer-focused approach..
For this article, we put the spotlight on Trent, Sean, Derek, and George—the four sales representatives featured in our interview and the ones you are most likely to speak to. They bring plenty of technical knowledge to the conversation, but they also have strong opinions about front-load versus top-load washers, wildly different movie preferences, and several ideas about what the sales department should perform in a company talent show.
We asked them a mix of serious and not-so-serious questions. Their answers reveal four distinct personalities—but a shared commitment to understanding each customer’s application and finding a cleaning solution that works.
During Quoting
When a customer contacts Renegade, the conversation usually does not begin with:
“Which machine do you want?”
It begins with questions:
- What are you cleaning?
- What needs to come off?
- How many parts do you process?
- How clean do they need to be?
- What happens before and after washing?
- How does the washer need to fit into your operation?
That’s because the right parts washer depends on more than a model number.
Trent, Renegade’s Sales Manager, wishes customers would involve his team earlier when planning a new production process or expansion.
“When customers involve us earlier and allow more time in the build, we can prevent problems, reduce compromises, and sometimes identify small changes that make a major difference.”
— Trent, Sales Manager
A washer is sometimes treated as one of the final pieces of equipment added to a production line. By then, the available floor space, utilities, loading method, cycle time, and surrounding equipment may already be set.
Early planning creates more options.
It can also prevent a small oversight from becoming a permanent inconvenience.
George, Renegade’s Senior Sales Engineer, believes customers should ask about experience with similar parts and applications.
“Have you built this before? Have you seen my type of part before? Have you washed this type of part before?”
— George, Senior Sales Engineer
Those questions open the door to valuable conversations about part geometry, contamination, fixtures, filtration, spray coverage, and lessons learned from previous projects.
Derek, Project Sales Engineer, would like customers to ask more about operating and maintaining the cleaning process itself.
That includes how operators can adjust:
- Solution temperature
- Cycle time
- Detergent concentration
- Maintenance intervals
- Other process variables that influence cleaning results
Understanding those controls helps customers respond when parts, soils, production demands, or operating conditions change.
Sean, who has been with Renegade for 27 years, took a slightly more direct approach when asked which question he wishes customers would ask more often:
“How soon can I buy this machine?”
— Sean, Sales Engineer
We cannot argue with that one.
What Customers Do Not Always Expect
Parts washing can look simple from the outside.
Put in a dirty part. Close the door. Press a button. Take out a clean part.
But behind that cycle are decisions about materials, chemistry, temperature, pressure, filtration, part presentation, spray coverage, contamination management, safety, and maintenance.
Trent said customers who have only cleaned parts by hand are often surprised by how quickly and effectively an automatic washer can work.
Customers replacing an older machine may be equally surprised by how much parts-washing technology has advanced.
George sees a different kind of surprise. Many customers know Renegade for general repair and maintenance washers but do not initially realize the company’s capabilities in multi-stage production cleaning, including wash, rinse, and dry systems.
Derek said the price of a dependable parts washer can also surprise customers—until they understand what goes into building one.
“Water-based cleaning can be corrosive, so a dependable washer needs suitable materials, proven components, safety factors, and a design that will last in a demanding environment.”
— Derek, Project Sales Engineer
A parts washer is not simply a metal cabinet with a pump.
It must repeatedly operate with heated water, detergent, contamination, heavy parts, and demanding production schedules. The components and construction have to match that environment.
Sean identified another surprise that is smaller but important:
Renegade detergent includes defoaming properties.
Foam can interfere with spray performance, solution control, and consistent cleaning. It may not be the first thing a customer thinks about, but experienced parts-washing people know it matters.
When Does a Washer Become Custom?
There is no single dividing line between a standard and custom parts washer.
A customer may begin with what appears to be a standard application but introduce one absolute requirement that changes the project.
Trent commonly sees this when a washer must fit into an existing production system with fixed dimensions or surrounding equipment.
Even when the finished machine looks relatively standard from the outside, its integration requirements can make the project custom.
Sean pointed to the cleaning stages. A basic application may only require washing. A production application may require washing, rinsing, drying, or multiple stages with separate tanks and controls.
Derek frequently works with customers who have specific requirements for:
- Machine footprint
- Components or approved manufacturers
- Fasteners
- Paint color
- Controls
- Wash, rinse, and dry processes
- Internal customer specifications
Whenever possible, Renegade starts with a proven machine or an existing design and modifies the areas that need to be different. That can reduce unnecessary engineering time while still giving the customer a system suited to the application.
George said precision and production cleaning often require a custom or modified-standard machine to ensure the part receives complete spray coverage and sufficient impact.
The goal is not customization for its own sake.
The goal is to make a machine that fits the part, the process, and the operation around it.
Every Application Is Different
After more than 30 years in the parts-washing industry, George has learned not to assume that two similar-looking parts will have identical cleaning requirements.
“Every application is different. In more than 30 years, I have never encountered two that were exactly alike.”
— George, Senior Sales Engineer
Different machining processes leave different contamination.
Different part geometries hold liquid and debris differently.
Different customers have different definitions of clean.
One part may need visible oil removed before repair. Another may have to meet a measurable particle-load requirement before assembly.
The sales team’s most unusual applications help show just how broad the parts-washing world can be.
- Trent recalled working with mosquito traps used in a system designed to sterilize male mosquitoes.
- Sean remembered bottle-handling hooks or jaws used by a glass manufacturer.
- Derek worked with tools used by a company that manufactured insulation from sawdust. He has also encountered applications involving extrusion dies.
- George described a machined valve-block assembly with intersecting holes, blind holes, recesses, and ports. The machine had to remove chips from those internal features while helping the customer meet a particle-load requirement and pass a Millipore cleanliness test.
Different parts. Different contaminants. Different results.
That is why experienced salespeople do not jump directly to a machine recommendation.
They ask questions first.
Meet the Team Behind the Questions
Trent Barney | Sales Manager | 26 Years with Renegade
Trent understands Renegade equipment from the inside out because his career did not begin behind a sales desk. He started in fabrication, cutting steel on a bandsaw. From there, he moved into electrical assembly, learned PLC programming on the job, and helped Renegade washers advance technologically.
That background gives him a practical understanding of how the equipment is made, controlled, assembled, and used.
Although his job requires plenty of office time, he said he would rather be on the shop floor most days.
Away from the technical side of the job, Trent’s personality comes through just as clearly. He helped coach youth hockey for five years, and his walk-up song would be “All I See Is You” by Shane Smith & the Saints. When it is time to rewatch an old favorite, he turns to the movie Tommy Boy or the television show Psych.
His Tommy Boy loyalty also influenced his answer when we asked which fictional character would make the best parts washer salesperson. Trent chose Tommy Callahan Sr.—a man known for being able to sell just about anything.
And if the Renegade sales team ever enters a company talent show? Trent predicts a Four Stooges-style performance, especially if he and Sean are leading it.
Sean McFerren | Sales Engineer | 27 Years with Renegade
Sean has been part of Renegade for 27 years. That kind of tenure means he has seen machines, applications, technologies, customers, and industries change over nearly three decades.
It also means that when a strange cleaning question comes up, there is a good chance Sean has encountered something similar—or at least something equally unusual.
When asked what customers would never guess about him, Sean answered: His age. We will let him keep the number to himself.
His repeat-watch movie is Tombstone, and his fictional choice for the best parts washer salesperson is John Wick. We are not entirely certain what John Wick’s sales presentation would sound like, but we suspect customers would make decisions quickly.
Sean believes the team could perform a Big Bang Theory-style skit in the company talent show.
Derek Tylka | Project Sales Engineer | 5 Years with Renegade
Derek brings an engineering mindset to the sales process. Before joining Renegade, he earned a petroleum engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he also played hockey at the collegiate level. Today, he applies that technical background to helping customers work through complex cleaning applications—and he is preparing for a new excitement outside of work as he and his family expect their first child.
When someone unfamiliar with the industry asks what a parts washer does, Derek keeps the explanation practical: “It is like a dishwasher for manufactured parts.” That straightforward approach reflects how he works with customers—breaking technical requirements into understandable questions about the part, contaminant, process, and desired result.
His personality comes through just as clearly outside the technical discussion. Derek’s walk-up song would be “Burn It to the Ground” by Nickelback, while his repeat-watch movie is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers—a favorite that became his go-to choice whenever he was home sick from school.
When asked who might make a good parts washer salesperson, Derek considered several very different personalities: Matthew McConaughey, John Cena, and The Rock. And if the Renegade sales team ever enters a company talent show, Derek’s suggestion is a four-person singing quartet.
We have not heard the group rehearse yet, but we are looking forward to the debut.
George Strapko | Senior Sales Engineer | More Than 30 Years of Industry Experience
George joined Renegade in June 2026, but he is far from new to industrial parts cleaning. He brings more than 30 years of industry experience and a deep appreciation for the fact that every application presents a different combination of part geometry, contamination, cleanliness requirements, production needs, and constraints.
Outside work, George remains active in sports. He played men’s-league baseball until a few years ago and now plays hockey. He also married his high school sweetheart. They have been together since 1979 and married since 1988.
His walk-up song required no hesitation: “Bad to the Bone.” His repeat-watch movie is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. And for the company talent show, George proposed a group impression act.
What Should Never Go Through a Parts Washer?
We also asked each salesperson what they would most like to put through a Renegade washer—even though the company would NEVER recommend it.
The answers went downhill quickly.
- Trent volunteered himself and admitted that he had previously joked about wearing a swimsuit and going through a conveyor washer.
- Derek also answered, “a person”—or, more broadly, something alive.
- Sean did not offer a personal selection but remembered seeing someone attempt to wash clothes in a parts washer.
- George, a committed dog person, jokingly answered, “a cat.”
For safety, legal, practical, and common-sense reasons: Renegade does not recommend any of these applications. Please stick to industrial parts.
The Rapid-Fire Round
| Question | Trent | Sean | Derek | George |
| Coffee or soda? | Soda | Soda | Coffee | Coffee |
| Early bird or night owl? | Early bird | Night owl | Early bird | Early bird |
| Phone call or email? | Phone call | Phone call | Phone call | |
| Shop floor or office? | Shop floor when possible | 50/50 | Office | Office |
| Standard machine or custom project? | A good custom project | Custom projects are more fun | Custom project | Custom project |
| Top load or front load? | Front load | Front load, for sure | Front load | Top load |
| Road trip or airplane? | Road trip, depending on distance | Road trip, depending on distance | Airplane | Road trip |
| Football or soccer? | Soccer | Neither | Soccer | Football |
| Dogs or cats? | Dogs—100% | Neither | Dogs | Dogs |
| Favorite Wisconsin food? | Fried cheese curds | Eats a lot of Koren Food | Butter burger | Friday night fish fry |
| Coworkers would describe you as… | Goofy | Interesting | Ambitious | Seasoned |
| One word for the sales team… | Genuine | Personable | Fun | Dynamic |
Different Personalities. One Shared Mindset.
Trent, Sean, Derek, and George do not agree on everything. When the conversation returns to parts washing, their answers become remarkably consistent.
Understand the application.
Ask the right questions.
Plan early.
Do not force the customer’s process to fit the wrong machine.
Build something dependable.
Support the customer after the machine is delivered.
… That is the mindset behind every Renegade quote.
Behind these conversations are decades of experience, practical manufacturing knowledge, and people who genuinely enjoy solving unusual cleaning problems. The team is genuinely interested in helping, personable to be around, fun to learn from, and dynamic team to work with.
Call us and tell us what you are cleaning, and the Renegade sales team will take it from there – unless your Derek, then please send him over an email.
