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Herbert T. Goetschius

New Position: President, chief operating officer, McNichols Co., Tampa. Previous Position: Executive vice president, general manager, McNichols Co., Tampa

By FRED W. WRIGHT JR.
Published January 24, 2005

One advantage of working nearly 30 years in a family business is that you're treated like one of the family, even if you don't have the same last name.

This is the case for Herbert Goetschius, recently appointed president and chief operating officer of the McNichols Co., where nearly every other executive is a McNichols and many of the McNichols siblings call him "Uncle Herb."

At the same time, Goetschius' new position at the world's leading supplier of metal products with holes is all business. It will require Goetschius to work on "big-picture projects, acquisitions, strategic vendor and customer relationships, and leading the senior leadership team of the company," he said.

That means less day-to-day tactical management of the company, which provides perforated and expanded metal, wire cloth and all types of grating and flooring to customers worldwide. Founded in 1952, McNichols relocated its headquarters from Cleveland to Tampa in 1978. It had sales last year of $120-million.

Goetschius said his new job will require more travel to visit customers and potential customers throughout the United States and abroad. In November, he spent two weeks in China. "I got my eyes opened up to the tremendous amount of business going on in China right now," he said. China is a major potential market, he said - a country of 1.3-billion people and 40 cities of more than 2-million people.

"I sought to understand the economic impact China has had on steel prices, and I also visited some vendors and potential vendors for the company," Goetschius said.

Goetschius said he expects other trips out of the country, particularly since McNichols is opening a branch in Monterey, Mexico, by March 31, he said.

Born in New Jersey, Goetschius said he grew up in a number of different cities. His father worked for AT&T, he said. "It was like being a military brat. We moved around a lot because he worked on military contracts."

Goetschius, 54, earned a bachelor's degree in finance in 1972 from Bowling Green State University near Toledo, Ohio. He began work for a Toledo utility company as a financial analyst, leaving the company in 1977 to join the McNichols Co. in Cleveland as director of finance. The following year, Goetschius relocated to Tampa with the company.

Goetschius said his new position is a culmination of a long-term plan.

"Right from the beginning, early on, I knew that Gene McNichols' two sons, Scott and Steve, were going to be the future leaders of the company," Goetschius said. "So one of my missions was to mentor them into that role with the understanding that would free me to take a greater role in the company."

Steven R. McNichols has been appointed vice president of advanced technology; Scott M. McNichols was named executive vice president and general manager, Goetschius' previous position.

The company has matured in the past few years, as the steel industry was affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "Now it's considered a growth industry and more vibrant,"Goetschius said.

To keep company employees aware of developments, Goetschius produces a monthly in-house video report that he sends out companywide. "I do interviews with a camera, bring it back, edit it," he said. "It's a show."

Goetschius also is president of the board of directors of Bishop-Eton School in Tampa. In his spare time, Goetschius enjoys snow skiing and travel experiences. For example, during his November trip to China, Goetschius and his wife, Pat, rode the country's high-speed train, traveling at more than 260 mph between downtown Shanghai and the airport.

[Last modified January 24, 2005, 07:58:50]