Fred Keller is chairman and CEO of Cascade Engineering, a multi-business manufacturer and marketer supporting multiple brands in the automotive, truck, solid waste/recycling, furniture, and renewable energy industries. A materials engineer by training, Keller founded the Company in 1973, following an earlier career as a metallurgist with Pratt & Whitney. From its small beginnings as a plastics parts manufacturer, Cascade has grown into a solutions-based organization with 15 customer-focused business units comprising 1,000 employees and 12 facilities worldwide, and a unique focus on sustainable products and services.
Fred serves as a director of Meijer, Inc. and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, as well serving on the National Advisory Board of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). He is past chairman of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids and has chaired several community boards. His innovative management approach and work in advancing sustainability are featured regularly in business and industry publications, and he serves as a visiting lecturer on Sustainability at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management. A Grand Rapids native, Keller earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Master of Science in business management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.