The Indiana Academy

 


The Indiana Academy 2009 Inductees

 

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KEITH E. BUSSE

Born: April 19, 1943

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Resides: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Keith Busse is the founder, former president and CEO, and current chairman and CEO of Steel Dynamics, Inc. After twenty-one years as vice president and general manager for Nucor Corporation, he founded Steel Dynamics in 1993 in Butler, Indiana, setting an international record by building the plant in fourteen months with only $280 million. The start-up business surpassed any previous steelmaking effort anywhere in the world. In 2002, his Columbia City, Indiana, mill began operation and became the nation’s most profitable structural steel mill in operating income per ton. His re-start of a Pittsboro, Indiana, mill in 2004 produced outstanding profits in only four months.

Following several other acquisitions, in 2007 Keith purchased for $1.1 million Omnisource Corporation, one of the nation’s largest processors of metallic scrap. With the Omnisource addition, the company has the capacity to generate $6-$8 billion in net sales and is listed in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and NASDAQ 100 indexes. In 2008, SDI was named "Most Admired Company" by Fortune magazine.

Keith has earned multiple prestigious awards from the national iron and steel industries, including "Steel Man of the Year" and "Steel Maker of the Year," as well as the highest civilian award given by the Indiana Governor — the Sagamore of the Wabash. In 1997, he was listed in Business Week as one of the country’s "Top 10" entrepreneurs and, in 2002, received the "Man of the Year Free Enterprise Award" from the National Association of Builders and Contractors. He was a national finalist in Ernst & Young’s "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year" in 1997 and "Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Manufacturing" in 2003.

Establishing a new national fundraising record for the Leukemia Society of America, he was named the organization’s "Man of the Year" in 1992. His extensive charitable work also includes chairing the National Kidney Foundation Cadillac Open and serving on the boards of Junior Achievement and the Community Foundation, both of Fort Wayne, and the boards of the Northeast Indiana Corporate Council and Regional Economic Development.

He is a member of the boards of trustees of the University of Saint Francis and Trine University and of the athletic board of directors at IPFW and serves as director for Tower Financial Corporation and Tower Bank. He is a past chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Steel Manufacturers Association.

Keith holds two bachelor’s degrees, one from Saint Francis College in business finance and the other from International Business College in accounting; an MBA from Indiana University, where he earned the Wall Street Journal Award for Academic Excellence; and three honorary doctorate degrees, one in engineering from Purdue University and two in business ― one from the University of Saint Francis and the other from Trine University.

The father of five, as well as a proud grandfather, Keith lists among his hobbies athletics, sports cars, and firearms.

 


 

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LOUIS E. GERIG

Born: December 24, 1945

Anderson, Indiana

Resides: Indianapolis, Indiana


Lou Gerig is president of Sease, Gerig & Associates, located in Indianapolis. He and his partners Dr. Gene E. Sease and David Sease purchased the firm, formerly called Howard S. Wilcox, Inc., on January 1, 1987.

He previously was vice president of public and governmental relations for Merchants National Bank & Trust Co. of Indianapolis, now National City Bank Indiana, from 1982 to 1987.

In 1981 and 1982, he was a member of President Reagan’s administration, serving as an assistant to White House Press Secretary James Brady, where he was in charge of all non-Washington press not covering the White House on a regular basis. He also served as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Customs.

Lou went to Washington in 1978 as press secretary for U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) and served in that position for more than three years.

He also served as director of public relations at the University of Indianapolis from 1972 to 1978, before joining Lugar’s staff.

He was a teacher in the North White School System from 1968 to 1972. His first teaching job was at Reynolds, where he taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade history and coached all sports. He was a reporter for the Monticello Herald Journal from 1970 to 1972.

Lou is the former chairman of the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corp. He also was chairman of the local, national, and regional media coverage of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. He has served on the board of trustees of Christian Theological Center and the Wishard Foundation Board. He is a past member of the board of directors of the Indiana Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America, Inc. and has served as a member of the Local Organizing Committee of the Big Ten Men and Women’s Tournaments.

Lou is a graduate of Anderson University and was named the university’s "Outstanding Alumnus" in 1981. He is the chairman of the Anderson University Board of Trustees, having just completed his fifteenth year with the last eight as chairman. He is a member of the Indianapolis Press Club. He serves on the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Board of Directors and was previous chairman of the Benjamin Harrison YMCA. He was named "Man of the Year" at the Benjamin Harrison YMCA.

Lou and his wife Beverly are the parents of two children, Nataly Lane and J. Tyler, and grandparents of Grace, Davis, and Sam. He is an avid runner, having run several mini marathons and one marathon at the age of 57, and enjoys reading.

 


 



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F. JOSEPH LOUGHREY

Born: October 27, 1949

Holyoke, Massachusetts

Resides: Columbus, Indiana

Until his retirement on April 1, 2009, Joe Loughrey was with Cummins Inc., the world’s largest independent diesel engine manufacturer, based in Columbus, Indiana, for over thirty-five years. In 2008, he was named vice chairman of Cummins Inc.; he served as president and chief operating officer from May 2005 through July 2008; and as a member of its board of directors since 2005 and the board of The Cummins Foundation since 1992.

Joe also served as chief technical officer and as group president ― industrial for the engine business from 1996 to 1999. He was named president of the engine business in 1999, a position he held until May 2005.

During Joe’s career, Cummins grew into a Fortune 250 company that serves customers in more than 160 countries through a network of 5,000 distributor and dealer locations. Cummins’ 40,000 employees generated more than $14.3 billion in sales in 2008. Almost 60 percent of those sales were made outside the United States. The company also produced almost 900,000 diesel engines, with about half of those manufactured outside the United States.

Along with his responsibilities at Cummins, Joe, a 1971 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, is recognized as a leading proponent of advanced manufacturing, both in Indiana and nationally. He serves on the board of trustees (chairman 2005-2007) of The Manufacturing Institute, the educational arm of the National Association of Manufacturers, as well as chairman of Conexus Indiana, an organization dedicated to promoting advanced manufacturing and logistics in Indiana.

He also serves on the boards of Sauer-Danfoss, Inc.; Hillenbrand, Inc.; the Lumina Foundation for Education; AB SKF; and the Community Education Coalition in Columbus. He is vice chairman (and next chair) of the Advisory Council to the College of Arts & Letters at the University of Notre Dame and chairman of the Energy Systems Network.

His honors include being named to the Irish America Business 100; Distinguished Alumni Honoree for Massachusetts Boys’ State 60th Anniversary; AIESEC Lifetime Achievement Award; Volunteer of the Year – Association of Retarded Citizens; and in 2007, he received the Achievement Award for Business from the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the United States and the Dick Johnson Leadership Award from the March of Dimes. He was named Indiana Global Business Person of 2007 and named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2008. He also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2008. In 2009, he was given the John F. Kennedy National Award by the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and the William R. Laws Human Rights Award by the Human Rights Commission of Columbus, Indiana.

Joe and his wife Deborah are in the process of moving from Columbus to downtown Indianapolis. Their son, Blair, is about to begin his second year of residency in ophthalmology at the Indiana University Medical School. Joe’s most enjoyable hobby is sea kayaking.

 

 


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JOHN C. SCHROEDER

Born: July 21, 1947

Evansville, Indiana

Resides: Evansville, Indiana

John Schroeder is president and CEO of Wabash Plastics, Inc. and Crescent Plastics, Inc. Both companies are family-owned and located in Evansville. John’s father and grandfather founded Crescent Plastics in 1949.

Crescent Plastics produces custom profile extrusions for the appliance and greeting card industries, along with other products. Wabash Plastics is a custom injection molder, serving the appliance, automotive, and HVAC industries.

John serves on the boards of these companies, as well as a third family-owned company, Cresline Plastic Pipe Co., Inc., also founded by John’s father.

John graduated from Wabash College in 1969 with a degree in economics and earned his MBA from Indiana University in 1971.

Since receiving his MBA, he has worked with the family companies, first in sales and marketing and then becoming president in 1990.

John joined the University of Evansville Board of Trustees in 1990. During his time on the UE board, he served as chairman of the Student Affairs Committee and Harlaxton Committee. He was chairman of the board from 2005-2008.

In 1992, John was elected to the board of trustees of Wabash College. During his time on the Wabash board, he has served on a number of the board committees. He has always been active with Wabash College admissions in the recruitment of young men to Wabash.

In addition to his work with Wabash College and the University of Evansville, John serves on several volunteer boards in the Evansville area. These include the Evansville Regional Business Committee, the Signature School Foundation Board, the Evansville Rehabilitation Center Board, Keep Evansville Beautiful, and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Superintendent’s Business Council.

He currently serves on the board of Anchor Industries in Evansville and the Louisville Branch of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Board.

John and his wife Diane (Butler ’71) have three children and one grandchild. His son Scott is a third generation graduate of Wabash College.

 


 


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RALPH D. TRINE

Born: November 21, 1941

Albion, Michigan

Resides: Angola, Indiana

Ralph Trine serves as chairman and CEO of Vestil Manufacturing Corporation of Angola, Indiana. Founded by Ralph’s father, Vestil Manufacturing moved from Albion, Michigan, to Angola in 1982. The company, which initially offered two products for the automotive industry, now offers more than 5,000 different items in the area of dock, drum, and material handling equipment, as well as ergonomic solutions.

Over 300 employees and 500,000 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space combine for the engineering and production of new products. Innovation has propelled the company from sales of $300,000 in 1966 to $75 million in 2008. Vestil now has manufacturing relationships with two affiliates in Mexico and has doubled sales through a Canadian partner. Construction of a 60,000 square-foot addition to the company’s Angola facilities created 104 new jobs. The $8.2 million expansion is the second in three years in northeast Indiana. Also in progress is the addition of 200,000 square feet to a Guangzhou, China operation.

Six years ago, Vestil added an all-terrain, powered wheelchair to its product offerings and now also manufactures pediatric equipment for handicapped children. The company has signed a contract with the Italian company ORMESA, the largest manufacturer of equipment for handicapped children in Europe, to become its exclusive United States agent. These developments emphasize Ralph’s business philosophy, "You get stagnant quickly if you don’t evolve."

Ralph is an ardent supporter of Trine University, where he has served on the board of directors since 1990 and been recognized with the university’s most prestigous award, The Pillar of Success. Four years ago, the University hired an educational marketing firm from Minneapolis to help enhance its reputation as a premier, private institution. The firm strongly suggested changing the name of the university because of the ambiguity of its name at that time, Tri-State. In 2008, the Trine family became the university’s largest single contributor and the TSU Board decided that any name change should include the name "Trine" in recognition of the family’s past and present support. On August 1, 2008, Tri-State University officially became Trine University.

The Trine family also made possible for the university the Trine Welcome Center in Forman Hall; the railway theme in Centennial Station, a gourmet café; and the Trine Villas, allowing TSU to offer modern student housing.

Land Ralph donated to the State of Indiana has become known as the Trine State Recreation Area, and funding for the YMCA has resulted in the Trine Aquatic Center. His crowning donation to the community and state is the family’s gift to Pokagon State Park of the Oakhill Conference and Retreat Center, 203 acres of woods, lakes, rustic cabins and buildings. The land includes rare natural resources like the blue flag iris and mature oak trees at its site north of Angola. Other family gifts include the Trine University Performing Arts Building and a new building for the Steuben County Community Foundation.

Ralph earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Tri-State College and his MBA, as well as a second BSME, at Michigan State University. He also holds an honorary doctorate of engineering from Trine University.

Ralph and his wife Sheri have two children and seven grandchildren. Ralph is a nature and animal lover and has been on the Steuben County Humane Shelter Board for fifteen years.

 


 


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ANDREW "ANDY" STEFFEN

August 2, 1924 ― April 4, 2008

Indianapolis, Indiana

Andrew "Andy" Steffen was an attorney with the Indianapolis law firm of McHale, Cook and Welch (now Bingham McHale) from 1988 until his retirement in 2003. Prior to that, he was a senior vice president at Ameritech’s corporate headquarters in Chicago, where he assisted in the formation of Ameritech pursuant to the requirements of the court-ordered break-up of the Bell System. While at Ameritech corporate, he served on the boards of directors of Wisconsin Bell and the Ameritech Foundation.

On returning to Indianapolis and the practice of law in 1988, Mr. Steffen became active with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, serving many years on its board of directors and executive committee and later on its foundation board. Recently he was elected a life member of the orchestra’s board of trustees. During his life, Mr. Steffen established an endowment that will continue to provide funds for an annual concert series by the orchestra.

He attended St. Joan of Arc Grade School and Cathedral High School and later received both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame. While there, he was a contributor to various university literary publications and was editor-in-chief of the Notre Dame Law Review. After graduation, he worked for the U.S. Department of Justice in Indianapolis, first as a law clerk to Chief Judge William E. Steckler and next as assistant to United States Attorney (later Governor) Matthew E. Welsh. Later he joined the law department of Indiana Bell, where he held various legal and management positions, including that of vice president.

During these years he was active in a number of community organizations, serving on the boards of Concord Center Association (and as its president) and of Indianapolis Settlements, Inc. He was one of the founders and incorporators in 1957 of the Junior Achievement program in Indianapolis and served ten years as a member and officer of its founding board. Over the years, he was active in and supportive of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as previously mentioned, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, the Eiteljorg Museum, and the Indianapolis Zoological Society and White River Gardens.

In June of 2005, Mr. Steffen established a major new endowed scholarship fund at Marian College, which will continue to provide full annual tuition grants to a number of financially disadvantaged students. These scholarships are designated Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter Scholarships in memory of the late Cardinal, who was a long-time friend of the Steffen family.

Mr. Steffen was honored as a Sagamore of the Wabash by three sitting Indiana Governors ― Matthew Welsh, Evan Bayh, and Joseph Kernan. In May 2006, at Marian College commencement ceremonies, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree of humanities.

For many years he owned and raced thoroughbred horses. He was one of three breeder-owners of Wolf Prince, a colt that competed in the English Derby at Epsom Downs in 1993. He was a member of the Keeneland Club (Lexington, Kentucky), the Thoroughbred Club of America, and the National Museum of Racing at Saratoga Springs, New York.

He served in the U.S. Army Infantry in World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Heroic Achievement in France in 1944.

Mr. Steffen is survived by two sisters, both of Indianapolis, as well as ten nieces and nephews.

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Updated 06/1/2009.