Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> September 27, 2004
ROBERT M. STEMMLER is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IMPCO
Technologies, Inc. He has more than 35 years' industrial experience. He
began his career as a mechanical, materials and test engineer with Amoco
and Sunbeam Corporation in Chicago, Illinois, before joining Celanese
Corp. During a 20 year career at New York-based Celanese Corp. (now
Hoechst-Celanese), he assumed management positions in technical
development, product management, sales, marketing, strategic planning,
acquisitions and general management. From 1983-1985, he was Vice
President, General Manager of IMPCO, when IMPCO was owned by Los
Angeles-based A.J. Industries (before the company was acquired by
AirSensors in 1989). From 1985-1988 he was Vice President and COO of
A.J. Industries, a mini conglomerate of seven companies with sales
totaling over $250 million. From 1989 to 1993 he was COO of Sargent
Fletcher, an aerospace division of A.J. Industries. Mr. Stemmler
returned to IMPCO in the spring of 1993, assuming the position of
President and CEO. Since becoming CEO of IMPCO in 1993, Mr. Stemmler has
defined and implemented the company's strategies for growth and
profitability in the rapidly emerging alternative fuels industry. He has
also been instrumental in transitioning the company into a worldwide
product and technology leader in the industry. Eight acquisitions in
seven years and strategic alliances and joint development programs with
major OEM companies have positioned IMPCO strategically for continued
leadership in the industry. One of Mr. Stemmler's most significant
achievements was the inking of a major teaming agreement with General
Motors (GM). In a worldwide search, GM selected IMPCO as the company
with the best product, technology, and resources to support General
Motors' commitment to be a major participant in the alternative fuels
vehicle market. Mr. Stemmler was instrumental in having the company
recognized by Forbes magazine in their November 2, 1998, issue as being
among the 200 Best Managed Small Companies in the US. The Los Angeles
Business Journal also identified IMPCO in 1998 and as the fourth most
profitable company in Los Angeles County based on a five year average
return on equity (31.6%). Mr. Stemmler holds an MBA from Seton Hall
University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Washington
University. Profile
Technologies and tell us about what the company is doing at the present
time?
Mr. Stemmler: IMPCO is over 45 years old and has
