10/21/2026
Meet Steve Chavers, Senior Manager, Engineering and Product Management at Balco.
Steve leads teams responsible for engineering, product development, and product strategy, helping take products from concept through launch and making sure they work technically, commercially, and in the field.
Q: How many years have you worked in this industry?
A: I’ve spent 8 years in the architectural products and expansion joint industry, with experience spanning engineering, product development, and manufacturing.
Q: What markets or industries do you know particularly well?
A: My strongest experience is in commercial construction and architectural products, particularly expansion joints, fire-rated systems, life-safety products, and products used in demanding commercial environments.
Q: What products or applications are you most knowledgeable about?
A: Expansion joint systems are probably my area of expertise, including floor, wall, roof, seismic, and parking applications, to the engineering and installation challenges behind them. I also have extensive experience with fire barriers, firestopping, stair nosings, entrance systems, and other architectural and life-safety products.
Q: What do customers tend to call you about?
A: Usually when they have a tough problem that doesn’t have an obvious answer. It might be a difficult expansion joint application, a unique movement or loading requirement, a fire-rated condition, a product that needs to be modified, or a situation where the standard solution isn’t going to work. I enjoy getting into the details and figuring out what will work in the field.
Q: What would you consider your “superpower” at work?
A: Connecting the dots. I’m good at taking information from engineering, manufacturing, sales, customers, competitors, and the field and turning it into a practical solution. I tend to look at the entire problem rather than just the individual piece someone initially brings me.
Q: What’s one customer problem you particularly enjoy solving?
A: I enjoy the “we’ve never seen this before. How do we solve it?” problems. Those are usually the most interesting. I like understanding what the customer is trying to accomplish, challenging assumptions around the application, and then figuring out whether we can engineer or develop a better solution.
Q: What is your philosophy about taking care of customers?
A: We’re passionate about life safety and take that responsibility seriously. We stand behind the products we make and want to be more than a supplier. We want to be a partner. From selecting the right solution to helping integrate it into the field, we’re committed to being there for our customers and helping make sure the solution works as intended.
Q: What’s something customers might not know about you?
A: I’m naturally curious and like learning about things outside my immediate area of expertise. I enjoy talking to people about their field experiences, understanding how different industries and technologies work, and finding ways to bring those ideas back into what we do.
Q: If a customer called you tomorrow, what would you want them to know you're available to help them with?
A: I’d want customers to know they have access to more than a product. They have access to engineering support. I’m available to assist with load calculations, engineering judgments, difficult product applications, technical documentation, and field integration questions.
Have a question for Steve? Contact him at [email protected].
