Who We Are

Group Leadership

Peter Limberger

Co-Founder

Peter Limberger

Peter has two engineering master degrees from the Technical University in Karlsruhe, Germany and Georgia Tech, Atlanta. In his first career, Peter worked initially as an engineer and then in management roles with increasing responsibilities, including the role of CEO, for large engineering firms such as Mannesmann AG, running projects located all over the world. He spent 3 years in Venezuela, then Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Switzerland. In the 1980’s, he managed the construction and installation of a major nuclear weapons security project for the US Air Force and NATO. With German unification in 1990, Peter began his second career as an entrepreneur and investor. He acquired or started circa 15 companies ranging from high-pressure compressor manufacturing, alternative energy systems, chemical manufacturing, and most recently for automation and robotic systems for the automotive and logistics industries. During that time, Peter served also as CEO of a large East German construction company with 1500 employees and as Chairman and CEO of a Swiss compressor manufacturer. Jointly with his wife Inga Carus, Peter started CL Enterprises in 2010 as a family investment company and enjoys building new and creative businesses and creating jobs. Together, Peter and Inga spend a great deal of their time looking for new ways of developing properties and companies to create jobs in the Starved Rock Country region and beyond, which include investing in the arts, businesses, education, and tourism.

Inga Carus

Co-Founder

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Inga Carus

Inga began her career with Air Products and Chemicals (APCI), where she served in ex-patriot positions in German speaking regions of Europe. After five years in Europe, Inga repatriated and joined Carus Corporation, initially in Sales and commercial roles, after which she became CEO and served as Chief Executive of Carus for 10 years, until 2015. Today, she leads the company as Executive Chairman, and continues to serve in an active role, leading the strategic growth of the company. Inga has a BA in Chemistry, and an MBA in Finance and Marketing, both from the University of Chicago. Inga is a member of the board of the American Chemistry Council, and serves on the boards of the Hegeler Carus Foundation, and the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation. Together with her husband Peter, Inga created CL Enterprises as a family investment company. In this role she is actively involved in the strategic direction of the company, including both current investments as well as exploring the new and creative ideas that her husband comes up with on a regular basis. Together, Peter and Inga spend a great deal of their time looking for new ways of creating jobs in the Starved Rock Country region and beyond, which include investing in the arts, businesses, education, and tourism.

Hinesh Patel

CEO

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Hinesh Patel

Hinesh joined CL Enterprises in November 2021 as the company’s first President. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Hinesh earned a degree in Chemical Engineering, and also holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Throughout his career he has held high level leadership roles with world-class organizations such as Honeywell, Eaton and Egon Zehnder. He is deeply experienced in general management for global companies, with particular strengths in business management, strategy, operations, and corporate development.

Matt Scholes

Chief Marketing Officer

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Matt Scholes

Born and raised in the UK Matt has become a true citizen of the world, having spent much of his career working on international brands for blue chip clients across all continents. A veteran of large agency networks Matt has held many C-Suite positions, including leading the Kellogg account globally for both J Walter Thompson and Leo Burnett, performing a similar role at McCann Erickson for Nestle, as well as office leadership of JWT Toronto and Two By Four agency, Chicago. Though informed by data and technology Matt remains most inspired by creative ideas and their ability to ignite the growth trajectory of even well-established businesses. The part of his job he most enjoys is helping clients identify and tell their own unique brand stories in ways which disrupt and create conversations. When not working Matt writes songs and poetry. He is a committed fan of Liverpool FC, a serious rugby enthusiast, and a notably bad golfer. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife, trying to keep tabs on his three children who are completing their educations in Canada and the UK.

Cindy Akins

Vice President of Human Resources

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Cindy Akins

Cindy is a Human Resources Executive with over 25 years of global and domestic human resources experience. She is a true generalist with deep experience in workforce engagement, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition and development, change management, and employee communications. She loves building talent strategies which help drive business growth.

Cindy most recently worked as an independent HR consultant focused on the small to mid-size business market. Her previous corporate experience includes organizations of all sizes, both public and private, in a variety of industries. She has a Master’s Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from Loyola University in Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois. In her free time, Cindy enjoys boating, yoga, reading, and spending time with her husband and kids.

Shay Brokemond

VP Corporate Development

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Shay Brokemond

Shay has 15+ years of advising C-level executives and boards of directors on M&A and capital raising transactions. Shay is a student of complex financial frameworks. Prior to joining CL Enterprises, she served as Executive in Residence and Executive Board Member for 11.2 Ventures. In her 16 years as Managing Director with global investment bank and financial services company William Blair & Company, LLC, she served in both a transaction advisory role and as a member of William Blair’s Global Inclusion Council, the steering committee responsible for defining the firm’s Inclusion and Diversity strategy, and served as a member of the company’s M&A Leadership Team.

In recognition of her dealmaking prowess, Shay was named to Mergers & Acquisitions’ 2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A. Shay earned an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Spelman College. She serves on the Board of Directors of The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park where she chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. Shay’s interest in art runs deeps, particularly artists of the African diaspora.

Barry Whited

Controller

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Barry Whited

Barry has a BS in Accounting from Bradley University and an MBA from Lewis University. Barry started his accounting career as a staff accountant at Beck Oil Company. Over the last twenty-eight years, Barry has worked in an accounting role with increasing responsibilities, including the last fifteen years as a controller.

He has worked in various accounting roles in the following industries; bank accounting and commercial lending, corporate accounting, manufacturing controller, retail, service, restaurant, and construction accounting. Barry started with Carus Group in April of 2015 then transferred to CL Enterprises in January of 2017.

Barry has worked for thirty years as an Adjunct Professor at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Illinois. He teaches in the fields of Accounting, Business and Economics.

Billy Quesse

Solutions Architect

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Billy Quesse

As our resident technologist, Billy, a veteran Software Engineer, brings to the table creative solutions in all areas of our portfolio. Having grown up in the heart of Starved Rock Country, he has a passion for the small-town revival that is part of CL’s general vision. After living out West, he was drawn back home, where he joined the CL team.

He has a B.S. in Computer Science from the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and resides in Spring Valley with his wife Gracelyn and their two dogs – Phoebe and Adaline(Della). In his free time he enjoys stargazing, is an avid maker, and tends to a garden of hot peppers. Each year, he drops off the radar for most of November and emerges with his annual Christmas light show.

Andrew Kowalewicz

Director of Finance

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Andrew Kowalewicz

Andrew studied finance and economics, and holds an MBA from DePaul University, Chicago. He worked in Europe, Asia and the US on multiple projects for various companies. For the last 17 years, Andrew has managed finances for a wide array of projects, including banking, EB5 investments, real estate development/construction, private equity, risk management and M&A.

Today, with CL Enterprises, Andrew is directing startups and has successfully launched projects in IT/Robotics, Construction, Retail, Craft Beer & Restaurant, and manufacturing industries.

Andrew structured and completed financing for several multi-million dollar projects, setup and successfully executed business plans, selected and implemented ERP systems, POS systems, and other accounting systems. He has negotiated key relationships with suppliers, contractors, attorneys, bankers, etc. He set up and successfully managed startup budgets, and construction budgets, implemented key financial SOPs, and developed business KPIs. Andrew explored and implemented a key outsourcing mechanism to hire employees thru a third party to minimize company exposure and lower operational costs.

Andrew’s professional interests are: Business Strategy, Finance and Economics, M&A, Risk Mitigation and driving the bottom line through efficiency, without sacrificing quality, and increasing end-consumer value.

Matthew Klein

Marketing Associate

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Matthew Klein

Matthew Klein graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bradley University Foster College of Business with a B.S. in Business Management and Leadership and a minor in Marketing. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration. While at Bradley, Matthew received first place in multiple innovation competitions, and an official proclamation for his entrepreneurial abilities from Bradley President Stephen Standifird and City of Peoria, IL Mayor Rita Ali.

Matthew joined CL Enterprises (CLE) in 2021. He assists the Chief Marketing Officer with on-going marketing operations and future growth objectives across the CLE corporate brand. He also works with internal teams to create and execute brand building strategies and marketing activities for CLE’s diverse portfolio of companies.

Growing up in the Illinois Valley, a collection of small communities with distinctive characteristics, the art of storytelling and perspectives has always been a fundamental principle to Matthew. His passion and desire to create led him to found his creative video production company at the age of 17.

In 2021, his video work was included and credited in an HBO original documentary produced by Unrealistic Productions, a Mark Wahlberg company. Matthew has created over 500 films for a wide range of public and private entities.

In his spare time, Matthew enjoys photographing nature, flying drones, hiking at National Parks, and spending time with his friends and family. There’s also a good chance of running into him at the local coffee shop.

Business Leaders

Robert Davidson

President, Alexander Chemical

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Robert Davidson

Robert Davidson majored in Business and Finance at Indiana State University and has over 23 years experience in Sales Management, Business Development and Operational leadership. He has held various leadership roles in Manufacturing, Specialty Industrial Services, Chemical Manufacturing and Distribution. Robert worked heavily in Energy, Industrial Manufacturing and Oil & Gas managing routine maintenance, Turn-around and Capital Build activities across North America as well as running Industrial and Chemical plant operations and commercial activities.

Guy Lieser

CEO of Revv Aviation

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Guy Lieser

Guy has an unparalleled aviation background extending more than four decades beginning with his service in the US Air Force. He knew as a young boy that he was going to be involved in flight as he would ride his bike seven miles to the Aurora Airport to watch planes take off and land and to hang with the pilots, mechanics and aviation experts. He earned his own pilot’s license at a young age and still enjoys being in the cockpit. His FAA career was that of an air traffic controller and airspace system inspection pilot, working the majority of his 34 years at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, Illinois. He also is a licensed aircraft appraiser and flight instructor, passing his love of the skies to the next generation. Guy and his wife Lisa have six adult children and reside in Sugar Grove.

Keith Miller

CEO of Starved Rock Wood Products

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Keith Miller

Keith became CEO of Starved Rock Wood Products in 2017. Keith began his career in the construction industry over 30 years ago. He has been involved in several startup companies. Miller was President of Illinois Valley Millworks for over 20 years until joining SRWP’s team. Before being named CEO he served as General Manager of SRWP beginning in 2014. Keith lives in Mendota with his wife Lynn. They have 5 children and 1 grandchild.

Keith Pearse

CEO, TRBC Brewing & Chicago Beer Company

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Keith Pearse

With a passion for beer and deep roots in the industry, Keith was a catalyst in the formation of Tangled Roots Brewing Company when he arrived in Starved Rock Country with aspirations to create a local craft brewery in 2014. Having been quickly introduced to Peter Limberger with similar ambitions, it took only days to kick-off what is today an able and ambitious player in craft beer celebrating the nature, diversity and passion of its people and community. Keith came from an 11-year tenure at SABMiller, a leading global brewing company, and brings experience ranging from designing and building breweries, to M&A and business development in Europe & the Americas and finally to commercial strategy and general management of multimillion-dollar brewery operations in South America. In a challenging and constantly evolving market, Keith’s broad industry experience makes him ideal to lead a talented Tangled Roots team in all strategic, commercial and operational endeavors with a clear focus on sustainable value creation.

Blake Rohrabaugh

CEO, Tangled Roots Brewing Co.

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Blake Rohrabaugh

Blake Rohrabaugh was born and raised on the mean streets of Northbrook, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign- Urbana and received a Bachelor’s Degree in History. But more importantly, while in school he was given his first bartending job at a local campus bar, where he quickly picked up and mastered the art of tending bar.

In 2003, Blake joined Bar Louie in Chicago. During his tenure with Bar Louie, he helped grow the company from 11 locations to 150 as General Manager, Director of NSOs, VP of Beverage Innovation, and VP of Operations.

Restaurant and bar operations are his life’s passions, with emphasis on guest satisfaction, amazing food and beverage offerings, and a true dedication to Hospitality.

Blake currently lives in Northbrook, Il with his wife Nicole and three children. When not working, he is a cocktail enthusiast, loves fishing and kayaking, listening to The Grateful Dead and Phish, and is hopeless supporter of both Manchester United and the Chicago Cubs. And he is still a great bartender!

Nathan Watson

President & CEO, CL Real Estate

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Nathan Watson

Nathan approaches real estate development with an entrepreneurial mindset. Whether it is identifying new project opportunities or finding creative design solutions, he is always searching for a better way to do things. He has an extensive background in real estate acquisition, project finance, building and community design, and historic renovations. Nathan’s assignments have included a 4,800 Acre Master Planned Community on the Gulf Coast and a 72 Acre mixed-use urban riverfront redevelopment project in New Orleans, through which he led or participated in the development of luxury apartments, hotels, retail, office, and infrastructure projects. Earlier in his career, he started a bank-owned for-profit community development corporation and his own development business. Projects included historic restorations, affordable multi-family housing, and new residential community development. He studied Architecture and Real Estate Finance, completing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Auburn University and a MBA from Columbia University. Nathan is married to Michelle Watson and relocated to Illinois in December 2015 to organize and lead CL Real Estate Development, including the Kaskaskia Hotel and Conference Center and a growing portfolio of creative adaptive reuse and new construction projects.