About Us

Since 2012, Custom Technologies has succeeded in understanding the needs of the industry and has created reliable services tailored for them.

Custom Technologies was formed in 2012 following the separation from service of our two principals from U.S. Navy’s Composite Research and Development Center at NSWC Carderock Division. Our experience is the result of nearly 70 years of combined experience in the application of organic fiber reinforced composite materials in the marine environment.

This experience was based on solving chronic and challenging problems in navy by developing unique solutions to address weight, corrosion, maintenance or operational issues.

These composite solutions often required developing unique fiber and resin matrix combinations to include glass, S-glass, carbon and aramid fibers with that of vinyl ester, epoxy, acrylic, urethane and engineered thermoplastic resins.

These programs were usually initialized in the laboratory and transitioned to the waterfront to evaluate and improve the technology often successfully transitioning to the operational navy. These technologies include topside and underwater hull solutions. The manufacturing processes often utilized vacuum assisted resin transfer molding but also included wet bagging, filament winding, pultrusion and injection molding often partnering with expertise in private industry.

These partnerships often included small research firms, testing laboratories, universities, industrial manufacturers, boat sheds and shipyards. Custom Tech is recently providing expertise to the aviation community.

Meet our Team

Michael Bergen

Michael Bergen

Originally from Ft Lauderdale, Florida, Mike started his navy career in 1981 in the hydrodynamic towing basins at NSWC Carderock Division upon graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Ocean Engineering. Following 6 years in the tow basin and at sea, he transferred to the composite materials Branch at the Annapolis site. He enjoys a practical hands-on expertise with his experience in composite repair related to airplanes, boats, composite auto and truck parts. Having experience with the transition of technologies to the waterfront, shipboard and shipyards, he started working with the Type Commander, N43, maintenance community in solving chronic issues with the successful application of composites in hull outfitting and secondary structure. This led to developing a teaming effort with NAVSEA 05 and members of the private sector, referred to as the Composites Working Group, which has resulted in the introduction of over 45 tons of composites across the Fleet to include CV, CVN, DD, DDG, CG and L-ships.

Mike was NAVSEA’s subject matter expert in Human Capital Digital Dashboard for composite applications. He brings a broad knowledge of resin matrices, processes and adhesives to the company as a result of his 35 years of composite applications. In the last five years of Mike’s tenure he supported ONR in the final phases of completion and delivery of an advanced MK V technology demonstrator to Naval Special Warfare Group 4 and was the technical point of contact for ONR during the successful build of an advanced carbon fiber medium combatant craft that incorporated the latest technology in preimpregnated out of autoclave technology. He regularly lectures at aviation and marine events and provides hands on demonstrations of advanced processing.

Dr. Roger Crane

Dr. Roger Crane

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Roger received his Ph.D from University of Delaware’s working extensively with the Center for Composite Materials. He received his MS from The Johns Hopkins University and BS from Loyola College, Baltimore. He was a composite materials engineer with the NAVSEA Carderock Division, Structures and Composites Department for 32 years. During his tenure with the Navy, Roger elevated himself to become the subject matter expert in composite materials for NSWCCD. He was a technical advisor to three program managers at the Office of Naval Research providing advice on composite research being conducted at various universities and industrial organizations. He was also actively involved in performing composite materials research in the areas of structural health monitoring, material property development, development of new composite material systems, prototype manufacturing, composite repair, multifunctional composites, and joining methods for composite materials.

He was actively involved with implementation of composite structures into fleet applications, e.g. aircraft carrier elevator stanchions, deck edge safety nets, composite rudder, composite repair of CG-47 topside structure, and composite armor. Roger was co-inventor, with Dr. Colin Ratcliff, USNA, for the non-destructive Structural Irregularity and Damage Evaluation Routine (SIDER) tool. He was the U.S. Navy composite material representative of the TTCP international program, panel P-7 on Composite Materials. Dr Crane has over 140 technical publications and 23 patents on these topic areas.

Dr. Jerry Fanucci

Dr. Jerry Fanucci

Dr. Fanucci was Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of KaZaK Composites Incorporated. After 20 years, KaZaK was sold to a large defense contractor. Prior to KaZaK, Dr. Fanucci had been employed as VP of a small R&D start-up, by the US Army as a research program manager, and by Kaman Corp.

Dr. Fanucci graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1980, with a Ph.D. in Advanced Structures Technology. He has authored or co–authored more than 40 technical papers related to design, analysis, testing, inspection, cost reduction, and processing of composite material structures, and has contributed to three books on the subjects. He also holds more than 20 patents on low cost composite structures and manufacturing technology related to military products including missiles, ships, and aircraft, as well as commercial applications from telephone poles to earthquake protection.

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