December, 2006

Vail Rubber Works Director Donald McNeely Named Service Center Executive of the Year

(St. Joseph, Mich.)  Donald McNeeley, Ph.D., a director on the board for Vail Rubber Works Inc., was recently named the 2006 Service Center Executive of the Year by Metal Center News announced Vail President Joseph W. “Bill” Hanley. The recognition honors an individual whose career and business strategies represent a model for the industry.
McNeeley has distinguished himself as a leader on many fronts. He is president and part owner of Chicago Tube and Iron Company, a $230 million enterprise that supplies pipe and tube for an array of applications ranging from construction and OEM’s to bike racks and parts for Patriot missiles.  His company was founded in 1914 and has established a 92-year record of consecutive profitability. Under his leadership the company has experienced strong sales growth, implementation of value-added processing and exceptional customer service.

He was also cited for generously sharing his time and knowledge with others in the industry. McNeeley, a graduate of the Harvard Business School, has taught for 17 years as an adjunct professor, the last seven at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., in the graduate MEM program at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. McNeeley is chairman of the Metals Service Center Institute and a trustee of the Pipefitters’ Local Union 597 Pension Trust.  Since May 2003, he has served as a director for Vail Rubber Works Inc., a supplier of rubber and polyurethane covers for rolls used in metal, paper and industrial processes. In addition to the Service Center honors, McNeeley was also a finalist for the 2006 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in its Lake Michigan Area Program that covers Illinois, Indiana, West Michigan and Wisconsin.

“This honor publicly recognizes the contributions Don makes to the success of his company, the industry and Vail,” said Hanley. “We are very fortunate to have a man with his strategic vision and integrity on our board. Don is the epitome of what Vail and other companies search for in a director.”
McNeeley believes all successful executives have an obligation to give something back to their industries, including sharing their expertise with smaller, private companies such as Vail. But he also views his directorship as an opportunity. 

“Serving on Vail’s board is making me a better person – a better president, a better professor. But it is also an opportunity for me to help make a strategic difference in Vail’s future,” said McNeeley.  “Making that difference matters.”
For more information about Vail Rubber Works Inc. and its services, visit www.vailrubber.com or call (269) 983-1595.

Photo available here