Applied names new board chairman
The board of directors of Applied Industrial Technologies elected John F. Meier as its independent chairperson.
Meier, 64, is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Toledo-based Libbey Inc., a supplier of tableware products, from which he retired in July of 2011 after serving 18 years in that role. Meier has served on the Applied board as a director since 2005. He has also served as a director of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company since 1997, including most recently as lead director.
The election follows the October retirement of David L. Pugh from his position as chairman of the board and chief executive officer and the appointment of Neil A. Schrimsher as the new CEO and member of the board.
"I am looking forward to working with Neil," said Meier. "We share a common goal to position the company for accelerated and profitable growth and expanded market share."
A native of Rochester, Pa., Meier began his career at Owens-Illinois Inc. and served for more than 20 years in various sales and marketing positions before becoming executive vice president and general manager of its Libbey Glass unit in 1990. When Libbey Inc. was spun off as a separate company in 1993, Meier became its chairman and CEO. During the time that Meier led Libbey, it became the No. 2 player in the industry worldwide through accelerated international expansion, and the No. 1 glass company with a commanding lead in market share in North America.
Meier holds a bachelor's degree in business from Wittenberg University and an MBA from Bowling Green State University. He has experience in developing brands, managing channels of distribution and expanding international operations. He and his wife, Ann, currently reside in Sylvania, Ohio.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The May/June issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about GHX Industrial. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
