Max Peter Schlienger

Max Peter Schlienger passed from this earth on May 4, 2024 at the age of 96. He was born in McKees Rocks Pennsylvania on April 12, 1928 to Swiss immigrants Max A. and Luggi M. Schlienger. His siblings were sisters Ruthie and Helen. He joined the Navy as soon as he was of legal age, and served at the end of World War II and then again during the Korean war.

After his time in the Navy he received a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University. With his degree in hand, Max took a job at TMCA (Titanium Metals Corporation of America) in Henderson Nevada. While in Henderson (as a sideline) Max opened up the first television shop in town, DoMax TV. It was also in Henderson where Max met his future wife Joan Miller. Max met Joan at Lake Mead where Joan was a lifeguard. He would swim just beyond the buoys that bounded the swimming area forcing Joan to paddle out on a surf board and explain the rules. On one such occasion he asked her out, and the rest, as they say, is history. Max and Joan were married and moved to Pittsburgh when Max got a Job with Universal Cyclops Steel, a company that was just entering into the production of titanium. While in Pittsburgh they had three children, Eric, Dana and Daryl. Soon after Daryl's birth Max received an offer from Stauffer Chemical Corporation in Richmond CA to be Plant Manager and help them develop their titanium processing capabilities. Max, Joan and the kids moved to San Rafael California and settled in. When Fansteel Corporation bought the Titanium Division of Stauffer Chemical and chose to consolidate operations in Muskogee Oaklahoma, Max and Joan decided they did not want to relocate and consequently founded Schlienger Engineering Company.

Schlienger Engineering's primary focus was on the design and production of equipment for the refining and processing of titanium. Being early in the use of titanium, titanium processing work was sometimes scarce and Max found other ways to use his many talents by creating and manufacturing such diverse items as: game tables for Bool, a game he invented, Instant Hot Water Heaters, Automatic Shoe Shine Machines and equipment for turning the original Golden Gate Bridge cable into coffee table memorabilia.  During this time Max developed and patented equipment that allowed clean processing (and reprocessing) of aerospace grade titanium. When the aerospace industry thought that the largely titanium SST  (Super Sonic Transport, aka the “Concorde”) was to be the aircraft of the future, (and titanium production looked to be headed for explosive growth) he became the target of a hostile patent action by a large multi-national corporation. Instead of capitulating, Max sold the majority ownership of Schlienger Engineering to Corning Glass Works (who were looking to expand into the titanium market) and the legal action evaporated.

While Max was working under the Corning umbrella, he decided that he wished to return to being his own boss. He and Joan nearly bought a winery, but instead they purchased Al Thrasher Equipment Corp in Ukiah Ca, renaming the company Retech. As Max was turning towards the production of Sawmill equipment (and plate flanges) the sonic boom of the Concorde caused it to be banned by congress with ultimately only three US airports allowing the aircraft. The sudden lack of demand for the Concorde resulted in huge change in the outlook for titanium and subsequently Corning offered to sell Schlienger Engineering back to Max and Joan on favorable terms. Retech and Schlienger Engineering were consolidated in Ukiah under the Retech name and Max and Joan lived in Ukiah for the rest of their lives.

In 1995 Max was awarded the honor of National Small Businessperson of the Year and until that time was the only recipient to have been nominated by his employees. In 1996 Max was also appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Under Max’s leadership, the talented team at Retech developed: Single Crystal Casting Furnaces for aircraft turbine components, Plasma Melting Furnaces for melting and refining titanium and other high temperature alloys, Arc Saw for the rapid cutting of metals, VAR furnaces, Melt Spinning Furnaces for the production of material for NdFeB magnets and many others. Through the course of his career, Max’s name appeared on 38 US patents. He was elected an ASM Fellow and received the 2012 Lifetime Achievement award from the International Titanium Association. Max served on the Advisory Board of The Leonard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education and endowed the Max and Joan Schlienger Graduate Scholarship in Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

Max spent his retirement enjoying the company of family and friends, growing grapes and developing his concept for a modern day atmospheric railway system.

Max is survived by his three children Eric Schlienger, Dana Thelen and Daryl Henzl, 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, and his sister Helen Seddon Safford. Max was predeceased by his sister Ruth Shupe Merwin. He will be forever missed.

The family wishes to express our heartfelt love and gratitude to Masi Valentine who cared for both Max and Joan. Masi’s loving heart and ever cheerful demeanor provided both Max and Joan with the ability to remain within the home they built together until their ultimate passings.

A private memorial is planned; in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be sent to Hospice of Ukiah.