Cleveland, Oh., USA - July 28, 2012, Cleveland, Oh., USA - Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. announced that John M. Stropki, Jr. will become executive chairman of the board.
Article continues below
Mr. Stropki joined Lincoln full-time in 1972 after working summers in the factory while he was an engineering student at Purdue University.
He was named Executive Vice President and President, North America in 1996, was elected to the Company's Board of Directors in 1998, was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003, and was elected Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2004.
Mr. Stropki earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana University. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) in June 2012.
Mr. Stropki also serves on the Board of Governors of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the Board of Directors of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
Christopher L. Mapes will be named president and chief executive officer of the Company.
Mr. Mapes has been serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Company since September 1, 2011, and has been a member of the Board of Directors since February 2010.>
Mr. Mapes started his career with General Motors and has more than 25 years of progressive executive experience with global industrial manufacturing and distribution companies.
Prior to joining Lincoln Electric, he was Executive Vice President for the A.O. Smith Corporation and President of its Electrical Products unit.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University, a law degree from the University of Toledo (Ohio) and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. ■
The main thing making weather headlines Friday and into the weekend will be the widespread coverage of showers and thunderstorms across much of the central and eastern U.S., with a particular focus across southeast Texas, the Mid-South, and portions of Virginia.