Keller receives Davenport University’s Excellence in Business Award
CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich., May 9, 2008 -- Fred P. Keller, chairman and CEO of Cascade Engineering, received Davenport University’s Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award during ceremonies in Grand Rapids Friday.
The award is given annually to an individual who represents professional success and commitment to community service and support. It is presented during the university’s Excellence in Business dinner, a fundraiser which has raised more than $1 million since its inception in 1998.
Keller is chairman and CEO of Cascade Engineering, a multi-business manufacturer and marketer creating value for customers with plastic products and solutions in the automotive, trucking, container, office furniture, recycling and renewable energy industries. He was recognized for a business focus that combines financial performance with work in the social and environmental arenas. His company has also been locally and nationally recognized for its business success and community involvement.
The award is named for Peter C. Cook, a Davenport University alumnus, who serves as an emeritus member of the Davenport University Governing Board of Trustees. He is the former chairman of the board of Mazda Distributors Great Lakes and currently serves as chairman of Cook Holdings. Cook received the school’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1981. The Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award was established in 1998.
Past Excellence in Business Award recipients include Peter C. Cook, Fred Meijer, Richard DeVos, Wilbur Lettinga, David Frey, John Spoelhof, Robert Hooker, Betsy DeVos, Donald W. Maine and John Canepa.
Davenport University President Randy Flechsig said that Keller, “Represents the combination of business success and community service that our university emphasizes in its academic programs. The support of our generous contributors and the strength of our business community through events such as this fundraiser helps our students go from success in the classroom to successful careers.”
The fundraiser also included keynote speaker Lou Holtz, former Notre Dame football coach for 11 seasons and now a college football studio analysts on ESPN. During his Notre Dame career, Holtz and his team won a national championship in 1988, had the longest winning streak (23) in Notre Dame history and an overall 100-30-2 record.
Davenport University, the only West Michigan-based private university specializing in business, technology and health professions, serves approximately 12,000 students through its campus in Caledonia Township (Grand Rapids), other locations in Michigan and online. Focusing on innovative, practical and affordable education, Davenport offers graduate and undergraduate degrees.
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