University of Cincinnati Honors Grote for Innovation

Goering Center Cites “Family Business of the Year”

Madison, IN (November 15, 2005) – Grote Industries has been selected as the Innovator of the Year by the University of Cincinnati / Goering Center for Family & Private Business.

The program, which is also sponsored by the school’s College of Business and Fifth Third Bank, recognized the 104 year old family for its emphasis on engineering and manufacturing innovation. 

“We feel especially proud, because this award recognizes not only the contributions of four generations of the Grote family, but the enormous contribution of our 1,200 employees,” said Chairman & CEO Bill Grote.

“Our company has been fortunate to be able to foster an ongoing spirit of innovation, and that spirit is directly reflected in the quality of our customer responsiveness” he concluded.

The award notes that the company founder’s first injection molding machine is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Goering Center is one of the leading family business centers in the U.S.

Founded in 1987, the Center’s mission is to improve the success of family and private firms over multiple generations.

Grote Industries, founded in 1901, is one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of vehicle safety systems and is QS-9000, ISO-14001 and TS-16949 certified. For over 104 years, Grote has provided state of the art safety solutions for OEM and Aftermarket customers worldwide.

Grote products include LED and incandescent lamps, mirrors, obstacle detection systems and reflective accessories. Grote is headquartered in Madison, IN with other manufacturing plants in Toronto and Waterloo Canada, as well as Monterrey, Mexico.

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