Kristi Folden

About Kristi Folden

I work with metals, automotive, aerospace, advanced materials, mining, food, feeds, pharmaceutical, academic and government research laboratories that depend on precise elemental, thermogravimetric, and metallographic analyses to make critical decisions.When your data drives heat treatment parameters, supplier approvals, certification audits, or product development, “close enough” is not good enough.Across the Southeastern US, I partner with QA/QC and R&D teams to improve accuracy, reduce bottlenecks, and optimize efficiency in analytical workflows.My focus areas include:• Optical Emission for full element identification and compositional depth profiling• Carbon & Sulfur combustion analysis • Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen Inert Gas Fusion analysis • Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) for material stability and composition of macro samples• Metallography and sample prep optimization (Sectioning, Mounting, Grinding/Polishing)• Automated Micro & Macro Hardness Testing (Vickers, Knoop, Rockwell)• Laboratory workflow efficiency and long-term instrument supportWhat I’ve learned over 20+ years in analytical instrumentation is this: most lab challenges aren’t just about equipment — they are about workflow, method consistency, staffing constraints, compliance requirements, and long-term reliability.Before recommending any solution, I focus on understanding:• The application• The regulatory or customer requirements• The pain points in the current process• The cost of inaccuracy or downtime• The ideal long term support planMy goal is not to “sell an instrument.”It is to partner with labs to build sustainable, accurate, and efficient analytical systems that support their broader business objectives.I enjoy collaborating with metallurgists, materials engineers, chemists, quality engineers and lab managers in industrial, academic, and government laboratories — especially when we can turn a persistent analytical problem into a long-term improvement.

Experience

1. Technical Sales Engineer

   LECO

   Apr 2022 — Present · US

   I provide turnkey R&D and QA/QC solutions in the areas of Elemental Determination (C, H, N, O, S) and Metallography to customers in the Southeastern US. Markets served by LECO\'s robust product line include Mining & Minerals, Energy, Metals, Microelectronics, Aerospace, Foods & Feeds, Soils, Fertilizers and many more. I enjoy collaborating with scientists in Industrial, Academic and Government laboratories emphasizing full-service technical and application support.

Education

• The University of Georgia

  BS, Biological Science

  1999 — 2001

• The University of Georgia

  MS, Toxicology

  2001 — 2003

Skills

• Materials Science
• Direct Sales
• Lifesciences
• Uv/Vis
• Exhibition
• Technical Documentation
• Quotations
• Science
• Crm Software
• Science Communication
• Email Marketing
• Life Sciences
• Chemistry
• Sales Engineering
• Art Exhibitions
• Crm
• R&D
• Spectroscopy
• Salesforce.com
• Analytical Chemistry
• Gotomeeting