Eric Van Namen is the new president of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based injection molder Cascade Engineering Inc., replacing Greg Bylsma, who is retiring after three years.
Van Namen has been with the family-owned company that specializes in large-scale molding since September 2022, when he took on the role of chief financial officer.
As CFO of Cascade Engineering, Van Namen played a pivotal role in developing and executing the company's financial strategy, according to Cascade Engineering's Board Chair and CEO Christina Keller.
"Eric is culturally aligned with Cascade Engineering and has already made a significant positive impact during his tenure as CFO. He is transparent, motivated, a true servant leader and a team player. We could not be more excited to have him as the new president," Keller said in a news release.
With nearly 30 years of work in accounting, finance, sales and operations, Van Namen has held positions at Lambert & Co., ODL Inc. and Deloitte and is experienced at financial analysis and mergers and acquisitions in addition to strategic planning.
His stint as the eighth president at Cascade began April 2.
The leadership transition followed months of collaboration and thorough external assessments of potential candidates to find Bylsma's successor, someone who could keep the bottom lines of planet, people and profits in mind, according to Keller.
"When Greg joined our team, we knew it was going to be for a short time," she said. "Under his leadership, we saw incredible success in our organizational journey towards improved financial visibility, acumen and results, while retaining our vitally important Triple Bottom Line philosophies and culture. We are on solid financial footing, reinvesting and growing with exciting opportunities ahead. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him the best in his next chapter."
Bylsma will join the Cascade Engineering board of directors and continue to provide strategic guidance.
Founded in 1973 as a division of Paragon Die and Engineering led by Fred P. Keller, Cascade Engineering business units serve a variety of markets, such as automotive, infrastructure, containers, underground enclosures, furniture and more.
Cascade Engineering was the 2001 Plastics News Processor of the Year.
The company was honored in 2023 by the Society of Plastics Engineers' Automotive Innovation Awards for the frunk (front trunk) of the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which is produced with long-fiber, glass-reinforced polypropylene on a 4,000-ton press.