It was one of the last honors Glen Lindemann expected.
As the president and CEO of Scott Technologies, a company which traces its roots back to before World War II, Lindemann never imagined his company was an appropriate one for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program.
“It is certainly an honor and privilege,” Lindemann says. “It’s something that I did not expect. I thought the Entrepreneur Of The Year award was for the younger high tech people, rather than a person like myself, who’s been an experienced manager of more traditional companies.”
Scott Technologies reaches back to 1932, when Earl Scott, an inventor with a knack for developing aviation products, launched a small firm out of his basement. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Great Britain turned to the United States for help equipping airmen with breathing equipment for high altitude bombing runs against the German army. Scott’s firm was contracted to produce oxygen generators.
The inventor parlayed that success into a viable company, which he sold in the late 1960s to the fledgling Figgie International. Years later, when Figgie failed, the Scott Aviation division was the sole survivor, and Lindemann, its head. The name was changed to Scott Technologies and the company began a campaign of focused growth.
Today, Scott Technologies works on two fronts. In addition to the aviation division, which includes manufacturing and servicing of aircraft products, the company manufactures safety equipment.
“One of the tag lines that we use with Scott is ‘Safety is our life’s work.’ And it is,” Lindemann says.
The company grew 14 percent last year, with sales breaching the $200 million mark, and that growth trend should continue, says Mark Kirk, the company’s senior vice president and CFO. Scott also has a plan of growth through acquisition and in the past six months, has acquired three ventures. The most recent was Kemira Safety Oy of Finland, a manufacturer of safety equipment which served as a support operation for its parent chemical company. Safety was never a core competency for the Kemira’s parent company, Lindemann says. The deal opens new avenues of distribution for Scott’s products in Europe.
It’s not easy for a 70-year-old company to look entrepreneurial. But considering its history, its rebirth a few years ago as Scott Technologies places it squarely within the entrepreneurial mode. Creating new opportunities, delivering new products and working on rapid growth are just a few of its characteristics. It also has the advantage of experienced management and a proven marketplace.
And while he may not have originally considered himself an entrepreneur, after participating in the EOY program, Lindemann has adopted a new philosophy about his role.
“(Entrepreneurs are) people who have made a difference in their company and who have led either changes or brought the company along in different directions, people who work well in a teamwork environment,” Lindemann says. “It was slightly different than the typical entrepreneur stereotype.”
And that fits Scott Technologies. How to reach: Scott Technologies, (216) 464-6153
Daniel G. Jacobs ([email protected]) is senior editor of SBN Cleveland.
