Meet the Team
Welcome to Oxygen Service Company. It’s our pleasure to serve you.
The Oxygen Service Company team serves customers with a positive attitude and a genuine passion for providing quality service and equipment. After all, service is our middle name. Welcome to OSC.
Meet Our Board of Directors and Executive Team Members
Ryan Diekow
Board Member and President/CEO
About
Ryan is the President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board. He has been with Oxygen Service Company for roughly 24 years and has worked at numerous levels of the company, including plant operations, project management, and sales and branch management, before moving into his current role. Ryan currently sits on the Oxygen Service Board of Directors and has served on the board for over 14 years. During these years, he has played a key role in working through many issues that typical ESOP companies face, such as executive leadership and board of directors succession planning, creation of repurchase obligation strategies, trustee transitions, and strategic business planning. Ryan is proud to be involved with such a strong ESOP company.
Victor Aspengren
Board Member and President of Keltek, Inc.
About
In this chapter of his career, Victor is focused on supporting employee-owned companies and those considering the transition to employee ownership. He serves as a board member to Inside Edge and several ESOP companies across various industries, engineering, distribution, healthcare, food, trucking, and construction.
With over 25 years of experience in employee ownership, Victor has a robust and practical understanding of the formation, maintenance, and evolution of employee-owned companies. His diverse background includes CEO, HR Manager, a practitioner in ESOP administration, valuation, and deal structuring.
Victor holds a Bachelor‘s degree in Sociology from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Drake University. He is a former Dale Carnegie instructor, YMCA Senior Director, Creativity Central trainer, and coach for The Great Game of Business.
As an active member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) Victor just stepped down from his second term as chair of the board of directors. He has also served on the National ESOP Association’s board of directors, board of governors, and as past chair of the Ownership Culture Committee. He is also a member of the Cooperative Charitable Trust’s employee ownership forum. As sought-after speaker, Victor regularly presents at national and regional conferences on topics such as employee ownership, open book management, governance issues, ESOPs, leadership, and building a high-performance culture.
Dan Kipka
Board Member and Chief Operating Officer
About
Dan is the Chief Operating Officer of Oxygen Service Company. He is an industry professional with 27+ years of cross-functional operations, distribution, and supply chain experience. Dan has worked on several continuous process improvement and operational excellence projects for the company. He has been a member of the leadership team at OSC since 2013 and has been on the OSC Board of Directors since 2010. Dan serves as the board secretary and as a member of the Compensation Committee; he also previously served on the Audit Committee. He has been an integral part of the strategic direction of OSC and its employee stock ownership plan.
Dan attended St. Cloud State University and St. Thomas University with a focus on Business and Operations. He is also very active in industry organizations, including GAWDA, where he is a Co-chair of the Insurance and Benefits Committee.
Dan and his wife, Jodi, have two kids. When not at work, he enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, golfing, and watching their kids’ sporting and school events.
Mac McPherson
Board Member and Senior Technician
About
Lyaman McPherson is the Senior Technician at Oxygen Service Company. He is responsible for managing operational and technical aspects of the inside, outside, automation, and robotic service departments. Lyaman previously owned and led Tomac Limited for 25 years, where he specialized in project management and hardware/software development to support critical electronic systems in the retail, industrial, and warehouse industries. He has nearly 43 years of experience in electronic design and maintenance, along with 30+ years of business management experience. Lyaman is known for providing solid leadership to achieve timely technical development and deployment while ensuring quality and customer satisfaction.
Ryan Mielke
Board Member and Chief Financial Officer
About
As the Chief Financial Officer at Oxygen Service Company, Ryan is responsible for all of the company’s financial functions, including accounting, auditing, treasury, corporate finance, and ESOP trustee relations. His career spans more than 15 years of varied experience in financial management, business leadership, corporate strategy, and corporate financial planning. Ryan is committed to maximizing long-term shareholder value, ensuring a balanced portfolio of growth initiatives, and maintaining a high level of integrity and transparency for OSC.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Minnesota State University, Mankato and his Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. In addition to serving on the board for OSC, Ryan also serves on the board for Split Rock Studios. Ryan and his wife, Carla, have two children.
Jim Smiley
Board Member and CEO Advisor at The Bailey Group
About
Jim retired as a CEO Advisor at The Bailey Group and currently sits on 4 ESOP company boards. He has unique experience in government affairs, employee stock ownership plans, and transitioning family-owned companies to professional management. With 30+ years of experience in both the distribution and telecommunications industries, Jim has refined his management and consulting skillset. His area of strength is partnering with clients who have an earnest interest in growth and getting the whole team pulling in the same direction.
Fred Spiess
Board Member and Outside Sales Representative
About
Fred was born and raised in New Brighton, MN, and is currently an Outside Sales Representative at Oxygen Service Company. He has over 38 years of experience in the industry, 22 of which have been with OSC. With Fred’s experience, which includes delivery, dispatch, billing, customer service, and now outside sales, he has developed a wealth of business knowledge and a true passion for our industry. Fred is proud to be a part of the OSC team!
Tracy McLellan
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
About
Tracy is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Oxygen Service Company. He has 30+ years of sales, sales management, marketing, and product development experience in the welding industry. He started in local distribution in Minneapolis and, after 10 years, worked for a full line manufacturer with responsibilities for North America. Tracy has 10 years of experience working for a wire manufacturer that covered the U.S. for national accounts. He has also worked for a startup abrasives and tool company, where he was responsible for sales and product development in Asia, Europe, and North America. Tracy has enhanced his welding knowledge through his experience consulting with some of the largest manufacturers in the U.S.
Jeremy Syverson
Vice President of Gas Operations
About
Jeremy is the VP of Gas Operations at Oxygen Service Company. He has 25+ years of industry experience, 7 of which have been with OSC. His industry background includes sales, operations, and project management with experience in Lean and Six Sigma principles. Jeremy oversees gas inventory, quality, compliance, and safety, as well as distribution, logistics, and cryogenic installations.
Nicole Hoverson
Organizational Development Director
About
Nicole is the Organizational Development Director at OSC, where she takes pride in being part of this 100% employee-owned company. Nicole has been with the company since 2014 and has a background in all aspects of Human Resources, with a focus on culture, people, processes, and continuous improvement. She is a member of the leadership team, serves as a liaison to the ESOP Committee, and supports safety initiatives. Outside of work, Nicole’s favorite role is being a mom, enjoying quality moments with her two children and husband.
Our Customers Say We’re Pretty Great
We pride ourselves on serving you with a customer-focused mindset. Check out what our current clients have to say about OSC.
The OSC Team’s Five Core Values
The OSC team is committed to living by our five core values:
- Getting things done
- Professional and respectful behaviors
- Customer-focused mindsets
- Positive attitudes
- Doing the right thing
Company History
The employees at OSC are one of our greatest assets! We all share consistent values of honesty and integrity and truly exhibit the company’s five core values. Open communication fuels and energizes our culture.
With a committee focused on the promotion and encouragement of the ESOP, we maintain a culture of employee accountability, as each team member is personally invested in the success of the company by having shares in the ESOP.
Our highly engaged team environment allows our knowledgeable staff to provide the best customer service. Read the full story here on how OSC became a 100% employee-owned company!
Contact Us Today
Some of our best customer relationships began with a phone call. Give us a ring today, and let’s start ours.
