On Thursday, July 19th, 2018, an F3 tornado ripped through the Vermeer plant, leaving a large path of destruction. It has been hailed as a true miracle that no one was killed. You won’t want to miss Mary Vermeer Andringa’s unconventional business story of Vermeer’s commitment to place Christ at the center of their business, and how God performed a miracle during this deadly storm.
Mary Vermeer Andringa is Chair of the Board at Vermeer Corporation, a global industrial and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Pella, Iowa. Prior to assuming her current role in November 2015, she was CEO and Chair of the Board for one year and President and CEO for five years. Her earlier roles at Vermeer have included Co-CEO and COO, focusing on her passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
Ms. Andringa is integral in continuing the family legacy of her father and Company Founder, Gary Vermeer. With humble beginnings, Vermeer Corporation has grown to become a global organization with more than 3,000 team members at Vermeer and affiliated organizations, serving the underground construction, surface mining, tree care, environmental and agricultural industries. Today, Vermeer facilities are found in Latin America, Asia Pacific, China, Europe and the U.S.
Due to her successful tenure at Vermeer, as well as her growing reputation as an expert ambassador for manufacturing, Ms. Andringa is sought after as a speaker and spokesperson. Ms. Andringa is a member of the B20, the private sector’s channel into the G20, providing leadership on small business and entrepreneurship with the intent to use her voice to remove obstacles and create a better business environment for small businesses to thrive. She also currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Iowa Business Council.
Throughout her career, Ms. Andringa has been an advocate of the manufacturing industry. Ms. Andringa was inducted into IndustryWeek’s Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2013. She served a two-year term as chair of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the nation’s largest manufacturing association and has recently been named Honorary Vice Chair. She also served as one of 18 private sector members of President Obama’s Export Council, where she represented manufacturing on important trade matters. Ms. Andringa is also a past member of the Export-Import Bank Advisory Committee.
