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Manufacturing 2023: JOHN M. STEITZ
A global manufacturer of plastic films and aluminum extrusions, Tredegar is a 1989 spinoff of Richmond fuel additives company Ethyl. Steitz was named president and CEO in 2019 following the retirement of John D. Gottwald, who had served in the role for 30 years. Steitz had served on Tredegar’s board of directors since 2017 while […]
Manufacturing 2023: ASHLEY B. SMITH
Smith, the third generation of his family to lead the precast concrete company, became CEO in 2018 and board chairman in 2022. The Fauquier County business was started by his grandfather, David G. Smith, in 1960 as Smith-Cattleguard, named for its concrete cattleguard innovation. By 1995, Smith-Midland was a publicly traded company. Today, the company […]
Manufacturing 2023: KATHERINE WILLIAMS
On July 1, Williams succeeded CEO Gary Mignogna, who became Framatome’s board chairman upon his retirement after 45 years leading the nuclear reactor and fuel manufacturer. Williams has worked for the U.S. subsidiary of French nuclear reactor manufacturer Framatome (formerly Areva NP) for more than 20 years and manages all of the parent company’s financial […]
Manufacturing 2023: PRABHAT JAIN
Jain has been CEO of Virginia Transformer, the continent’s largest U.S.-owned power transformer manufacturer, since 1982, 14 years after he arrived from India, mechanical engineering degree in hand. Over the past 40 years, Jain grew the company from 35 employees to more than 2,700 across five plants. Last fall, it opened an additional manufacturing facility […]
Manufacturing 2023: KAI FRIEDRICH
Friedrich has worked for Swiss equipment manufacturer Liebherr Group for almost 20 years, and after holding management roles in Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Switzerland, he joined Liebherr’s U.S. operations in 2021 as its managing director and director of the global company’s earthmoving and material handling technology. He also serves as a divisional director for […]
Manufacturing 2023: JOHN PARKINSON
A subsidiary of Duroc AB, a Swedish manufacturer specializing in filament yarn and staple fiber, Drake Extrusion has been based in Henry County since 1996, with Parkinson as its CEO since 2001. Its staple fiber is used in various applications such as flooring, rugs, furniture, technical filters, car interiors and nonwoven fabrics. Drake has expanded […]
Manufacturing 2023: HOWARD BROADFOOT
Broadfoot has been CEO of Electro-Mechanical since 2021, when he was promoted from chief operating officer upon the retirement of founder Russell Leonard. It’s been a busy couple of years since then. He shepherded the equipment electric manufacturer through its November 2021 acquisition by private equity fund Graycliff Partners for an undisclosed amount. He has […]
Manufacturing 2023: DAVID LEDESMA
Formerly the head of DuPont’s plant in Buffalo, New York, Ledesma moved south to lead its facility in Chesterfield County in 2021. Founded in 1929, the Spruance plant is DuPont’s largest manufacturing site in the world, and it produces Tyvek, Nomex and Kevlar, materials that were in great demand at the start of the pandemic […]
Manufacturing 2023: JONATHAN JENKINS
In 1976, Culpeper Wood Preservers started from a single location in Culpeper. Today, the company is a leading manufacturer of pressure-treated lumber products for the residential, commercial, industrial and marine markets, with 17 locations around the East Coast and in Indiana and Tennessee. A 1990 East Carolina University graduate who was recruited by the Chicago […]
Manufacturing 2023: M. SCOTT CULBRETH
Culbreth began working for cabinets manufacturer American Woodmark in 2014 as chief financial officer and was named president and CEO in 2020. The company’s cabinet brands include American Woodmark, Shenandoah Cabinetry, Timberlake Cabinetry and Waypoint Living Spaces. In April, American Woodmark reported its net sales increased 11.3% year-over-year in fiscal 2023 to $2.06 billion. Last [&he[...]
Manufacturing 2023: BRIAN D. PALIOTTI
In January, Paliotti took over as Afton Chemical’s president, succeeding Gina Harm, who retired at the end of 2022. A subsidiary of Richmond-based NewMarket, Afton Chemical produces and sells petroleum additives. Paliotti has worked for NewMarket since 2008, most recently as its vice president and chief financial officer. He previously worked in finance roles for […]
Manufacturing 2023: NEIL D. WILKIN JR.
Under Wilkin’s leadership, Optical Cable made a strong finish at the end of fiscal year 2022, with $69.1 million in revenue, up nearly $10 million from the previous year. A three-time graduate of the University of Virginia, with undergraduate, MBA and law degrees, Wilkin was an attorney at McGuireWoods and Kirkland & Ellis before joining […]
