Fred Keller

About Fred Keller

Fred Keller is the Founder of Cascade Engineering. Fred started Cascade in 1973 with a belief that he could have a successful business while creating a culture where people enjoyed coming to work and were treated with dignity and respect. Fred began molding plastic parts with six employees. Today Cascade Engineering employs about 500 people. The Cascade Engineering Family of Companies serves diverse markets including recycling and waste containers, automotive, office furniture, agricultural/industrial containers, polymer compounding, and RFID technology integration. Cascade is primarily focused on injection molding of large plastic parts and the supporting design and engineering required to provide excellent quality and reliability. Cascade Engineering a “Triple Bottom Line” company, has been a certified “B” Corp since 2010. Cascade Engineering is now also a certified Woman Owned Business as Fred has passed the reins of control to his 3 daughters with Christina serving as overall CEO of the family of Companies. Fred believes that business has the unique opportunity to complement its efforts on financial performance with important work in the social and environmental arenas. He has emphasized the key role business can play in building financial, social and ecological capital, often through partnerships with government and community agencies. His innovative management approach and work in advancing sustainability are featured regularly in business and industry publications For 17 years Fred was a Sr. visiting lecturer at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, is an Emeritus Executive-in-Residence at the University of Michigan’s - Center for Positive Organizations - Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He was formerly the board chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council and for 14 years served on the Board of Trustees for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation serving 2 years as chair. Fred is currently an emeritus trustee for the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and serves on 3 corporate boards. Fred has been actively involved in many community organizations and change initiatives including the co-founder and chair Emeritus of TalentFirst. He also was previously co-founder and chair of K-Connect. Now a resident of Jackson Hole Wyoming, Fred earned a B.S. in materials science and engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in business management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Experience

1. Founder and Chair

   Cascade Engineering

   Apr 1973 — Present · Grand Rapids, MI, US

   Cascade Engineering has 9 business units spanning a wide diversity of markets including transportation, recycling/waste management, office furniture, agricultural/industrial containers, polymer compounding, and RFID asset management. Primarily focused on designing, engineering and injection molding of large plastic parts, Cascade Engineering is widely recognized for its business achievements and community involvement, and is one of the largest Certified B Corps in the world.Fred believes that business has the unique opportunity to complement its efforts on financial performance with important work in the social and environmental arenas. He has emphasized the key role business can play in building financial, social and ecological capital, often through partnerships with government and community agencies. His innovative management approach and work in advancing sustainability are featured regularly in business and industry publications.Fred has been a visiting lecturer at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University since 2002 teaching a course most recently entitled “Changing the Game: Purpose and Profit”. He is also an Executive-in-Residence at the Center for Positive Organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He was formerly the board chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council and served on the Board of Trustees including chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 14 years. Fred is also a trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. A Grand Rapids, Michigan native, Fred earned his B.S. in materials science and engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in business management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Education

• RPI at Work

  MS Business Management

  1967 — 1972

• Cornell University

  B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering

  1962 — 1966

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Master of Science - MS, Business Administration and Management, General

Skills

• Strategy
• Business Strategy
• New Business Development
• Public Speaking
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Business Process Improvement
• Business Development