New leadership

For just the third time in its 74-year history, Fort Recovery Industries has a new president.

Mike Meyer has been named president and chief operating officer of the die-cast metal products producer, which has locations in Fort Recovery and Portland.

Meyer previously worked for 24 years at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, most recently as its general manager.

He said he was attracted to the atmosphere of Fort Recovery Industries and the loyalty of its employees. It also helped that he was used to an agricultural environment, having grown up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“What we do is difficult work. It’s a noisy environment, hot environment, but these employees really, they do a good job,” Meyer said. “My personal values fit well within this region so it was an exciting opportunity to go to an area that I’m very comfortable and familiar with.”

Values were also important to the company’s executives as they began planning for the leadership change. Wes Jetter, who stepped down as president but remains as CEO and chairman of the board of directors, said the transition has so far gone smoothly.

“We had gotten to know (Meyer) through our trade association and he had leadership qualities,” Jetter said. “Plus as we got to know him, we got to know his value system was very much in line with ours.”

The company manufactures structural and decorative aluminum and zinc die castings for several industries including automobiles, appliances and office furniture.

It traces its roots to 1945, when Jetter’s father George purchased the Fort Recovery Stirrup Company and changed its name Fort Recovery Industries.

Over the years it has expanded its operations and has three locations — its casting plant and headquarters in Fort Recovery and an additional plant that opened in Portland in 2011.

After almost 40 years as Fort Recovery Industries president, Jetter decided it was time to take a gradual step back. As its owners considered the company’s future, they opted to carefully select a new leader while still maintaining its existing culture.

“We’ve decided where we’ve located in the culture of the company that we wanted to continue being an independent, closely held firm,” Jetter said. “So we decided not to sell the firm, but retain the firm and transition for the long term with a senior executive of like values.”

As president, Meyer is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the plants. He reviews each day’s production, deals with any issues that come up and participates in strategic planning.

An important part of his daily routine is speaking one-on-one with the company’s employees, whom he describes as hard-working, dedicated and friendly.

“Every day I start my day on the shop floor, interacting with shop floor employees,” Meyer said. “Our employees are our most valuable asset. And that’s just not a saying, it truly starts with our employees.”

Meyer, who lives in Greenville, Ohio, with his wife Sarah and their two teenagers, said his focus is on those employees as he begins looking toward the future.

“We need individuals at all levels of the organization, there’s no role here that’s more or less important than any other,” Meyer said. “Everyone has a role to play and they’re all just as important as everyone. My role is no more important than anyone else.”