Jim Meinert has been associated with Snider Mold Co. in Mequon, Wis., since 1965, currently as an owner and as director of international marketing. In that post, he also vigorously pursues his strongest interest — promoting exports and expanding the mold-building trade between domestic companies and their international counterparts.
Snider Mold builds large compression, injection, reaction injection molding and structural-foam molds in Mequon. Customers include companies in recreational vehicle, lawn and garden, automotive, construction, commercial building, agricultural equipment, and plastic pallet manufacturing markets worldwide.
Meinert has directed Snider Mold's diversification into new, international markets, including the seating, construction, automotive and recyclable pallet and container markets. Geographically, Meinert has pushed Snider Mold, which has actively exported since 1968, into Mexico, South America, Europe, China and Asia.
Meinert, who has led numerous manufacturer trade missions to Mexico and other countries, has been named Small Business Exporter for Wisconsin by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For his efforts, he also received the 1994 International Business Award from the Milwaukee World Trade Association, a group for which Meinert also has served as president and a director. He is an international member of the Washington-based Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., where he also serves on the International Trade Advisory Committee, and as a board member on SPI's Moldmakers Division. SPI recently named him as its first "International Businessperson of the Year".
Meinert also has served for two years as president of the American Mold Builders Association; has won Moldmaker of the Year honors from the Society of Plastics Engineers; and is a member both of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and of the International Trade Advisory Committee of the Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin.