ControlOMatic (COM) is a California-based manufacturer of chlorine generators for saltwater spas and pools, and it more recently began manufacturing a DIY kit for making Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) at home. While the company has been around since 2005, these women are relatively new to ControlOMatic’s management team.

Melinda Kohnke was hired at COM in 2019 as the Senior Sales Manager. Her background included 20+ years of sales experience, in addition to her experience as a previous small business owner. She quickly became indispensable to the former GM, Kyle Garcia, and was the obvious choice to step into the GM role when Kyle reenlisted in the military in October of 2021.

Terri Van Wagner came on board in August of 2021, to bring organization and methodology to the inventory system, which was daunting due to COVID shortages and ongoing supply chain issues. Terri brings with her over 15 years of California manufacturing experience. “The supply shortages hurt us in 2021, and we had a difficult time keeping products in stock,” says Melinda Kohnke. “In the short time that Terri has been here we’ve been able to turn that around and now have products on the shelf!”

Karen Cooke joined ControlOMatic just this last January, and brings 20 years of Spa and Hot Tub industry experience with her. Her background and experience made her transition to the team seamless. She is customer-focused and detail-oriented, and she has already proven to be an essential team member. She landed at ControlOMatic just in time to help orchestrate the company’s move to a much larger manufacturing facility, which was fortunate for COM, since she had recently overseen a multi-warehouse move at her previous company. 

Elyssa Kohnke (Melinda’s daughter) graduated from William Jessup University in May 2020 with her BA in Mathematics and BS in Computer Science. She immediately joined the ControlOMatic team upon graduation to take lead on a new project: creating a mobile app that will allow users to control the SmarterSpa+ chlorine generator from anywhere in the world! Beta testing has gone very well, and the company is looking forward to a limited release this summer. 

“We all work so well together, and sometimes we have so much fun we forget this is work!” says Terri Van Wagner. “We are friends as well as coworkers, and we complement each other's strengths and weaknesses perfectly.

ControlOMatic’s new facility is now up and operational. The team is now located at 12146 Charles Drive, Grass Valley, CA 95945.