Gonzalo Marulanda Paz & Brian Fritz

SVSU alumni Gonzalo Marulanda Paz and Brian Fritz are accomplished engineering and business leaders who have built their distinguished careers at B&P Littleford in Saginaw. After graduating in 2006, Brian joined the company as a design engineer and subsequently recommended Gonzalo for the same role. Gonzalo joined in 2007, and both men eventually advanced into executive leadership. Today, Gonzalo serves as Chief Operating Officer and Brian as Vice President of Engineering, jointly overseeing more than 60 employees and global operations spanning engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, facilities, R&D, and customer testing.

Their professional impact is deeply rooted in their SVSU education. Together, they have been granted 4 patents, published five peer-reviewed articles, overseen two senior design projects with SVSU, and developed a proprietary extruder for the chemical industry—the first project of its kind completed in the last 50 years.

As executives, they have driven the largest growth period in B&P Littleford’s history. In 2019, they helped secure, design, deliver, and install the company's largest order to date: 44 pusher centrifuges for China’s Shenghong Refining and Chemical Company (Lianyungang). Successfully installed to process over 70 tons of paraxylene per hour per machine, it stands as the largest installation of its kind in history. In 2026, they broke their own record by securing a historic order for a series of 600-gallon vertical mixers for L3 Harris Technologies, Inc.

With the assistance of Brian, Gonzalo, and a team that includes an outstanding cohort of SVSU graduates, B&P Littleford has thrived in an increasingly competitive environment. This leadership team has contributed to more than doubling profits over the past two years, reducing supply-chain costs by 40%, and developing a vendor network expanding across Mexico, Switzerland, China, and Italy. Their efforts continue to bring major international projects to Saginaw, elevating both the region and SVSU on the world stage.

Gonzalo and Brian maintain a powerful connection to SVSU through workforce development and education. They have helped hire 23 SVSU graduates—19 of whom remain at B&P, including 14 Mechanical Engineering alumni. Both earned their SVSU master’s degrees in 2015 and have served as adjunct instructors, teaching engineering and CAD courses. Their start as design engineers makes them uniquely suited to bring real-world industry experience into the classroom. Additionally, they regularly host Mechanical Engineering students for tours of B&P and collaborate with SVSU Testing Labs on research, projects, and course development.

Together, Gonzalo and Brian represent a powerful example of professional achievement paired with sustained investment in SVSU. Their leadership has strengthened B&P Littleford while creating career opportunities, practical learning experiences, and pathways for generations of SVSU engineering graduates.

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