David Leeder

Leeder's path to engineering was anything but traditional. He began his career in the restaurant industry before taking a job at a small specialty foundry, where working alongside engineers sparked an interest that would change his future. He returned to school to earn a mechanical engineering degree and eventually joined Wisconsin's paper industry in 1986.

While Leeder’s first job out of college was a short stint at a large fan manufacturer, it was his second job at Kimberly Mill where he encountered complex systems that fascinated him. “In a paper mill, energy is everywhere—in the steam, the pumps, the dryers, the motors and the air-handling systems most people never notice,” Leeder said. “I found opportunities for efficiency where nobody was looking. There was value there, and somebody needed to optimize the efficiency.”

Energy efficiency became an increasingly important part of his engineering work. At a time when the paper industry was enjoying strong profits and energy was not always a primary concern, Leeder saw an opportunity to reduce costs and improve the way mills operated.

He saw what others missed.

He ultimately spent 23 years at Kimberly Mill before the facility closed amid changes in the paper market and the rise of digital advertising. But Leeder remained ingrained in the paper industry as his career path eventually brought him to Ahlstrom's Thilmany Mill, where since 2013, he led more than 60 energy-saving projects, implementing improvements ranging from LED lighting and advanced pumping systems to heat recovery and compressed-air upgrades. 

Richard Peterson, maintenance and engineering manager at Ahlstrom, said Leeder has developed a reputation for finding opportunities others might overlook.

“He has a passion for energy. He has a knowledge around energy,” Peterson said. “He goes out and looks for opportunities, finds them. Figures out how to make improvements and then helps finish them. He drives them to completion.”

That approach combines technical expertise with a willingness to go wherever the problem takes him. Leeder analyzes data and trends on a computer, but he also spends time in basements and on rooftops looking for inefficiencies.

“He’s looking for problems. He’s finding solutions to things,” Peterson said.

But Leeder himself will say successful energy efficiency projects need to first start with listening. He encourages operators, electricians, mechanics, and engineers alike to bring forward ideas for improvement, knowing innovation can come from anyone willing to take a closer look.

The people who operate and maintain equipment every day are often the first to notice subtle changes. Leeder combines those first-hand observations with operational data, financial analysis, and engineering expertise to uncover opportunities others might overlook. By delivering measurable results, he has built the trust needed to turn good ideas into lasting improvements.

His trusted reputation also extends beyond the two mills where he worked. As an Energy Advisor, working for FOCUS ON ENERGY® and CleanTech Partners, Leeder visited paper mills across Wisconsin, helping facilities identify practical opportunities to reduce energy use. By calculating detailed financial savings, developing project details, and leveraging financial incentives, Leeder helped mills realize efficiencies they didn’t think were possible.

That role reinforced his belief that technical expertise, financial incentives, and strong partnerships can help manufacturers overcome budget constraints and move worthwhile projects from concept to completion, but they must also demonstrate long-term value.

Among his proudest achievements: leading the conversion of three hydroelectric units at the Kimberly Mill from an outdated 25-cycle electrical system to the modern 60-cycle standard. At a time when energy efficiency was largely associated with improvements such as efficient pumps and variable-speed drives, the mill uncovered a far greater opportunity. By exploring the conversion project, the team realized it could capitalize on significant unused hydroelectric capacity, leading to one of the facility's most impactful energy-saving initiatives. 

The result was a reliable source of electricity that could operate around the clock. And rather than allowing available water power to go unused, the Kimberly Mill power plant was able to turn that resource into electricity it could use directly, potentially reducing the power it needed to purchase from the grid by two megawatts.

The massive undertaking couldn’t have happened without special programs and the partnership with Focus on Energy. And the power plant continues generating renewable electricity to this day. Kaukauna Utilities now runs the plant and the hydroelectric generators.