After 50+ years of dedicated service to FLANDERS, Dave Patterson will retire from his role as President & Chairman as of March 1, 2021.
Dave started his FLANDERS career as employee #7, working part-time in high school. Dave’s servant attitude began early, doing whatever needed to be done. Some days meant pickup and delivery, while others were spent cleaning restrooms and mowing lawns. Dave learned quickly that working with Roy (Patterson) meant he was not only Roy’s son but also his business partner.
Later, Dave was promoted to utility, cleaning parts and stripping armatures while working toward a double engineering degree at the University of Evansville (UE). Stripping armatures and seeing how they failed provided Dave with first-hand knowledge on how to improve motor insulation systems, which is proprietary to FLANDERS and a differentiator for us with our customers.
After graduating from UE, FLANDERS’ capacity increased, adding multiple shifts. Dave volunteered to start the second shift at Maryland Street, which he did for 6 years. When the Baumgart South Plant was purchased in 1981, Dave transitioned to the day shift as coordinator and shop manager.
As FLANDERS began to expand domestically, Dave assumed responsibilities for Marion, Longview, and later Casper and Lakeland, in addition to running Baumgart South. Dave then worked to grow a presence in Australia, often spending several weeks in Mackay and later Brisbane, building relationships and in-country capacity.
FLANDERS continued to grow internationally, opening the Chile and Canadian RSCs. During this time, Dave was promoted to President by the Board of Directors, and Allen Patterson became CEO. This allowed Dave to focus on the overall business and share his knowledge with others in the company.
Dave’s generosity, compassion, and love for the Lord have blessed many at FLANDERS and beyond. His humility and servant’s heart is a role models examples for those around him. We are grateful for the foundation Dave has created in FLANDERS and are excited to see what FLANDERS will become.
The Flanders Team
