Franklin Electric Elects David M. Wathen and Thomas L. Young to Board
The board of directors of Franklin Electric Co., Inc. has elected David M. Wathen and Thomas L. Young to be directors of the company.
Mr. Wathen is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty, Inc. (U.S. Operations) a Novi, MI-based firm engaged in engineering, construction, and building management services, primarily in Europe and North America. Prior to his Balfour Beatty appointment in 2002, he served as a Principal Member of the General Partnership of QUESTOR a venture capital firm. Mr. Wathen has also held management positions with General Electric, Emerson Electric, Allied Signal and Eaton Corporation. While at General Electric Mr. Wathen was General Manager of the Industrial Motors Business and while at Emerson Electric he served as President of the U.S. Electrical Motors Division. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1977 and an MBA from Saint Francis College in 1981.
Mr. Young recently retired, after 29 years of service, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Owens-Illinois, Inc. a manufacturer of glass and plastic packaging containers for the food and health care industries. He was elected as a director of Owens-Illinois in 1998 and continues to serve on its board. Mr. Young is also a member of the board of directors of Manor Care, Inc., is Chairman of the audit committee and its designated financial expert, and a member of the compensation committee. He is also a director of the National Association of Manufacturers and the United Way of Greater Toledo. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from St. John’s College in 1966, a doctor of jurisprudence with honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1972 and in 1985 completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
The election of Mr. Wathen and Mr. Young to the Board of Directors is in anticipation of two current directors attaining mandatory retirement age later this year.
Franklin Electric is a global leader in the production and marketing of groundwater and fuel pumping systems and is a technical leader in submersible motors, drives, controls, and monitoring devices.
Source: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
