While teaming mostly with industrial clients, he also led technical programs with the U.S. Department of Defense involving all four services and the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2004, he was co-recipient of a U.S. Navy ManTech achievement award for work on bonded marine structures in support of the Zumwalt-class destroyer. Ritter evaluated specialty coatings for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation/ Federal Railroad Administration in thermal control coatings and railroad track corrosion protection, respectively.

In 2005, Ritter was named co-recipient of the U.S. Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award for his role in the development of a completely adhesive-bonded composite-to-steel joint for the Navy DD-X Surface Combatant program.

For nearly 25 years, Ritter was a Principal Engineer and Technology Leader at EWI Inc., where he interacted with dozens of industrial clients. Prior to that, he served in research positions and technical management at Owens-Corning and Franklin International. His experience spans the development of formulated adhesive systems related to structural epoxies, UV-curable systems, flexible packaging adhesives, hot-melt adhesives and wood bonding products.

A frequent contributor to industry and professional society conferences, Ritter has presented and published fundamental studies in adhesive applications, surface chemistry, and adhesion science relating to surface preparations and joint design. Of special interest was the development of “green” surface preparation methods for structural bonding of metals.

Ritter, having recently joined the ChemQuest Group, first engaged ChemQuest at Owens-Corning in the early 1980s while working on specialty coatings. In the early 2000s, Ritter and Dan Murad, ChemQuest’s CEO, worked side-by-side in the Adhesive and Sealant Council to facilitate its Building the Industry initiative.

“I have known ChemQuest for decades, and I look forward to working together more formally,” said Ritter. He added, “I have always regarded ChemQuest at the top of their field, especially in the area of adhesives and coatings market analysis – and I’ve recommended them often. But their forward integration into materials development through the ChemQuest Technology Institute is an exciting endeavor. I told Dan [Murad] I believe CQTI is an outstanding push forward for the private and public sectors engaged in materials science. I am genuinely looking forward to such a novel interaction at this stage in my career.”