[ad_1]
A new quartet of Junior Achievement Evansville Regional Business Hall of Fame winners left their mark on the local banking, economic development, production, and steel industries.
Active 2022 winners are Mark Schroeder, former Chairman and CEO of German American Bancorp, and Greg Wassen, formerly Co-CEO and President of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership.
This year’s historic honors go to the late William McCurdy, owner and founder of Hercules Buggy Company, and James Bridwell Igleheart, President and Chairman of International Steel Co.
Ronald Rochon, president of Southern Indiana University and co-chair of this year’s awardee selection committee, said: The talent and leadership abilities we have in this community. “
Local business:United Companies, A Mainstay Of Evansville’s Business Community, Names Third CEO
Winners will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on May 9 at 8:00 am at the Old National Events Plaza. This event is a fundraiser for Junior Achievements in Southwest Indiana.
Individuals are nominated for outstanding civic and business contribution to the Southwestern Indiana region in recognition of business excellence, courageous thought and action, inspired leadership, and community orientation.
“During the selection process, I was impressed by the number of recent and historical pioneers and influential figures from the region. This is why the Junior Achievement Evansville Regional Business Hall of Fame is so important.”
About this year’s four winners:
Mark Schroeder
Employed by German-Americans for over 40 years, Schroeder began his career as a vault attendant and worked his way to the top of the company.
Prior to becoming Chairman and CEO, he held various leadership positions at German American, including Loan Officer, CFO and COO. German American has grown tremendously throughout Schroeder’s career, thanks in large part to his guidance and vision. It has grown into a position and has become a respected industry leader state and nationally. German American operates his 51 banking offices in his 19 contiguous Southern Indiana counties and his one Kentucky county.
Greg Wassen
Prior to the merger with the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, an initiative in which Wasen was instrumental, Wasen was president and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. Since the formation of the Economic Development Coalition in 2007, Wathen has been involved in successful economic development projects that have resulted in the creation of 4,213 new jobs and more than $3.3 billion of his investment in southwestern Indiana. rice field.
Under his leadership, every $1 invested in the Coalition generated $313 in profits within the community. Wasen’s success began in a very unconventional way. His first day at the Coalition helped save a major engineering talent from the closure of Whirlpool. It helped drive projects such as global consumer electronics giant Haier America to set up its first R&D technology center in Evansville. The result was a $5 million investment, 50 high-paying jobs, and the renovation of an iconic building within the Downtown Design District in the heart of Evansville.
William McCurdy (1853-1930)
McCurdy came to Evansville from Cincinnati in 1902 to build and operate a buggy factory. He was drawn to Evansville for two main reasons. Although he purchased most of his materials from Evansville, shipping to Cincinnati was expensive, and wages in Evansville were somewhat lower than in Cincinnati. Additionally, Evansville had a skilled woodworking workforce. He purchased land at the intersection of Morton His Avenue and the Southern Railroad and built a factory there.
His Evansville factory produced 84,000 buggies, 62,000 gas engines, and 40,000 trucks and bodies. With 1,500 employees, he was the largest factory in town. He was a nationally recognized and proven manufacturer. In 1916, then-President Woodrow Wilson named him a member of the American Defense Association.
James Bridwell Iglehart (1922-2007)
International Steel Co. became one of Evansville’s most iconic and successful businesses during Igleheart’s 33-year tenure. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Iglehart completed his U.S. Steel Corporation executive training course. He returned to his hometown of Evansville in 1948 and joined International Steel Co., rising to a management position.
Under his leadership, the company has become a leading structural steel manufacturer and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of revolving doors. The Sears (now Willis) Tower, completed in 1973, was one of the buildings for which International Steel provided revolving doors. The company’s steel was also a factor in the Cold War, shielding the rooms of the US Embassy in Moscow with Lindsey structures to prevent sound and radio waves from being intercepted by other countries. Igleheart is a member of the Junior Achievement of Southwestern. He was a member of Indiana’s founding committee and was the first non-clerical chairman of the mayor’s human relations committee.
[ad_2]
Source link