FINALIST / INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING
James Lind has climbed from the very bottom to the very top at McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc. through hard work and determination. He started as summer help during college. However, he quickly surpassed his peers in responsibilities and caught former President Jack Klee’s eye due to his strong initiative and demonstrated managerial skills.
Lind would move up through the ranks under Klee’s mentoring, and upon Klee’s death in 2005, he assumed controlling stock of the company and moved into the role of CEO. He continued Klee’s vision of transforming McKees Rocks, Pa.-based MRIE from an industrial park that was seeing decreasing rent to a river/rail terminal that would shortly become the source for 75 percent of the company’s revenue.
The company still serves as an industrial park as well as terminal facility, specializing in bulk material distribution and warehousing. In addition to transloading and terminal services, MRIE offers value-added services such as screening, sorting, blending and bagging.
MRIE’s revenue-stabilizing diversity in services is due in large part to Lind’s strategic push into the refractory and foundry businesses, among others. His biggest and most advantageous risk came with the opportunity to take on the well gas industry. MRIE opened facilities in New York and Ohio to place itself in a better bidding position with other businesses working in the Marcellus Shale and soon began to handle hydraulic fracturing sand for several well service companies in those states.
As a result of Lind and his team’s efforts, MRIE has seen steady growth over the last three years with revenue growth rates of 10 to 20 percent per year. Despite the economic downturn in 2008, MRIE grew its staff by 20 employees and has increased revenue more than 70 percent since that year. ■
HOW TO REACH: McKees Rocks Industrial Enterprises Inc., www.e-mrie.com
