William M Jahnke, Chief (Ret.)
President and Owner of WHP Trainingtowers™
As a lifelong fire service professional and construction engineering professional, Bill’s unique background and knowledge base incorporate the two most important aspects of fire training tower design and construction. Bill holds a degree in both Construction Engineering and Fire Protection Engineering.
Bill is a former Director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Bill served as Fire Chief of the Overland Park, KS Fire Department, and currently holds a position on the NFPA 1402 Standard on Facilities for Fire Training and Associated Props Committee.
This, coupled with 45 years of experience in construction management and having toured and built over 900 fire training towers, makes him uniquely qualified to not just build fire training towers but to build fire training towers that meet the specific needs and applications of the fire service.
Bill’s unique understanding of the physics and practical application behind how different construction materials heat and cool at different rates in extreme heat and cool temperatures coupled with his front-line experience in the fire service puts theory into practice in developing the most rugged and time tested Steel Fire Training Towers in the Industry. WHP’s fire training towers are the yardstick by which all other training towers are measured when it comes to longevity, quality, and durability.
Maggie Scaletty
President & Chief Executive Officer at WHP Trainingtowers™
Maggie has over 15 years’ experience in business and construction management and handles the day to day financial management, operations, and business development at WHP Trainingtowers™. She holds a degree in management, as well as masters’ degrees in both business administration and finance. Through this role, she has been involved nationally by partnering with organizations within the fire service and working with several nationally known leaders who have partnered with WHP in different roles and as consultants.
Acknowledging that a training tower is not just another building, Maggie believes that by partnering WHP’s 40+ years of construction expertise in building fire training towers with the vast expertise shared by fire service professionals, WHP can deliver a higher quality purpose-built product to the end-user.
Maggie works closely with the project team to ensure that your project will be completed on time, within budget, and that the quality and functionality will meet or exceed your expectations.
Joe Kirchner
Chief Operating Officer
In his current position Joe is in charge of sales, research and development, purchasing, contracting, and customer relations. Before graduating from Kansas State University in Construction Science and Management, Joe got his start in the industry as a sheet metal apprentice eventually gaining experience as a Field Engineer and Project Manager working on projects ranging from $150,000 to $10 million.
With WHP Trainingtowers™ Joe has worked with owners, architects, and contractors to develop the best design plan for each specific project while promoting collaboration within WHP as well as with our customers and partners. Since his start with WHP, Joe has been engaged in over 600 projects and he brings with him over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. If you have a question, Joe will get you the answer.
Steven Jahnke
Chief Production Officer
Steven oversees and manages the day to day operations and manufacturing processes at WHP Trainingtowers™. Steven has over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry and has completed coursework and several degrees in the areas of construction, manufacturing, and drafting design as well as general studies. Steven has a vast knowledge base that spans across the disciplines of construction, industrial maintenance, manufacturing, and automotive repair.
During the course of his career with WHP Trainingtowers™ Steven has been involved in numerous large-scale projects including being on-site for two years for the design and development of a UASI funded state of the art Hazmat Facility in Los Angeles County.
Steven has worked in every area of project design and implementation on hundreds of successful projects from installation technician, to drafting, to manufacturing specialist. This diverse background allows Steven to assist in the manufacturing and implementation of new products as well as a large array of building accessories, electrical/electronic systems, and static and dynamic props. Steven’s focus on quality and innovation is what drives his passion for the fire service.
James R. Van Bibber, Captain (Ret.)
National Preconstruction Manager
Rob is a graduate of Kansas State University and has 20 years of commercial construction estimating experience as well as 15 years of firefighting. As a retired full-time fire captain, he understands the challenges of planning, budgeting and bringing to fruition departmental training advancements. Combining his two career paths allows for excellent communication with governmental and fire service leaders in assisting in the designing and customization of new WHP training simulators as well as re-designing current facilities.
Jim Eicholtz
Sales
Jim has been involved in the design and construction of fire training facilities since 1991. Jim brought his experience with the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute when he joined WHP in 1994. He has worked extensively with gas simulators, as well as buildings that burn Class A materials.
Greg Sutton
Sales
Currently a Battalion Chief, Greg has over 25 years of experience in the fire service and is a member of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. He has a passion for training and understands what is needed in a training facility in order to get the most use out of it. Greg holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration and is a State Certified Fire Service Instructor, Live Fire Training Instructor, Fire Officer, and Paramedic.
Jason Krautter
Senior Preconstruction Representative
Jason is a business development leader with extensive management experience across multiple sectors spanning 20+ years. Prior to joining WHP, he consulted and worked with numerous Architects & Engineers on the design/build of over 40 controlled environmental agriculture projects, with heavy emphasis on industrial-scale Class 1 Division 1 hazardous environments. His single-minded focus is helping clients navigate the design-phase and making the best possible infrastructure decisions while remaining on time and on budget.
Clint Brown
Preconstruction Representative
Clint is a Preconstruction Sales Representative at WHP. Clint brings a diverse background in building erection, production management, and sales, along with over 12 years of experience in the fire industry with our team. His extensive expertise includes thermal lining installations, NFPA inspections, and overseeing consulting. Clint’s wide-ranging roles equip him to adeptly prepare customers for all aspects of designing, building, and training in their respective facilities. Notably, he has contributed to our projects across 49 states.
