Fred Keller
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President and CEO
Cascade Engineering Inc.
Grand Rapids
Keller, the founder of Cascade Engineering, is a staunch believer in sustainable business principles. In 2010, Keller helped spur the creation of the Keller Futures Center, a community innovation program rooted in design-thinking and sustainability.
“Internally, we plan to focus on two major programs in 2012. The first will accelerate our improvement processes as we spread our accumulated knowledge about lean manufacturing practices across all areas of the company. The second will develop, attract and retain top technical talent to support our continued growth. … I expect the U.S. economy to get through the current European crisis somehow and continue to ‘muddle’ through the next several years without dramatic shifts in the economy for 2012. The Cascade Family of Companies is taking a somewhat longer view, investing in growth now in the belief that the economy will show slow improvement over the next several years. In the meantime, we anticipate solid growth in our core business segments, including Cascade Cart Solutions and CK Technologies. We also expect gains from our newest business units, particularly in retail sales through Cascade for the Home. Our efforts relating to sustainability and diversity will continue to increase in 2012. We achieved our goal of zero waste to landfill on our Grand Rapids campus in 2011 and have set new sustainability goals for the coming year. Having identified ourselves as an anti-racism company, we will continue to support these values and an inclusive culture that drives innovation and growth.”