New CEO of Port firm has national, local aspirations

Molded Dimensions recently named Al Mejia the company’s new CEO.

“Somebody like Al has the skills to make the business double or triple its size, which was really important for us,” former company President Mike Katz said. “Molded Dimensions has great future potential, and we think Al is the right person to drive that potential up for us. We feel that we didn’t have the skills to take the company to the next level, but we’re really excited about the future.”

Mejia began his new role on April 29.

Katz said he will remain an advisor to Molded Dimensions and his wife Linda, who was previously CEO, will retain her position on the board of directors.

Last August, the couple sold the majority of their ownership to private equity firm ShoreView Industries, but retained 12%.  

“It’s just the right time for new leadership. We were able to drum up the company from what it was to what it is now. We got to a place where we thought we needed another infusion of people and ideas that would take the business to the next level,” Katz said, noting he and his wife were with the company for 18 years.

 In his new role, Mejia said he will have greater autonomy to pursue acquisitions for growth in the next five years. He also said he wants to expand the company’s manufacturing capacities in its four divisions consisting of molded rubber, cast polyurethane, global manufacturing services and tooling.

“The intent for this role is definitely to take Molded Dimensions to the next level. My mission here is to work with the team to develop a growth path to double and triple the size of the business in the next five years,” Mejia said. “Part of my responsibility is to make sure we have the right team in place and the right skills and competencies to assemble a leadership team that have the bandwidth and ability to integrate new companies and run a larger business.”

Katz said Mejia was selected as CEO because of his proven track record in expanding business operations. Mejia was previously vice president and general manager for Hyper Converged Infrastructure, a $300 million subsidiary of Johnson Controls, in Grand Rapids, Mich. He also worked in the same capacity for Rexnord Corp.’s operations in Latin America, which has $120 million in holdings.

Mejia, 50, was born in Barranquilla, Columbia, and came to the United States in 1992 to complete his master’s degree in industrial engineering at the University of Illinois. He also earned advanced business and leadership certificates from Wisconsin and Minnesota universities. Prior to moving to Grafton three years ago, he was a Cedarburg resident.

Mejia said the majority of the company’s business is in the Midwest, and he wants to pursue potential acquisitions in other parts of the country. He said the company is in the discovery and exploration stage for acquisitions.  

“In our current vision, we want to expand geographically and expand some of our capabilities that will be complementary to our products and add more value to our customers,” he said. “We want to understand the market and who the players are so we can have good candidates for potential acquisitions.”

 Molded Dimensions works with original equipment manufactures to make components for engines and medical equipment. Businesses the company works with include Johnson Controls, Mercury, Rexnord, Metso Minerals Industries and GE Medical Systems.

“We have a lot of Fortune 500 customers in our roaster,” Mejia said.

Mejia said his previous experience working with contract and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) will lend itself well in his new position.

“I have a unique view from both a supplier perspective to the OEMs as well as the OEM itself from building, designing and making products,” he said.

Mejia said he wants to continue the legacy of his predecessors by supporting Port Washington High School’s technical education department and sports teams. He also said he wants to maintain a positive workplace environment for his employees.

“The employee philosophy here is one of the things that attracted me,” Mejia said. “I’ve worked for many companies before that say their employees are their biggest asset but they don’t walk the talk. This company is a big family and there is a lot of camaraderie here.”

Katz said one of the reasons Mejia was chosen as CEO was because of his commitment to support employees.

“Our No. 1 litmus test is to make sure they are going to be good with people. Our tagline is to create a place where people choose to work,” Katz said.

Mejia said he is honored to become CEO of the 65-year-old company and wants to maintain its tradition.

“From a foundational perspective, this is a company that has been built on taking care of its employees. My job is to make sure to continue that legacy. Mike and Linda said they want to make a great place where people want to work,” Mejia said. “My only concern is getting up to speed and filling the shoes of the Katzes. I want to gain the trust of the employees and develop that relationship.”