Seaga announces Chesney to step down, board elects Mike Freund as CEO
Source Seaga
Seaga Manufacturing Inc., a leading platform for innovative automatic retail dispensing and modular intelligent inventory control solutions, announced that its founder and CEO, Steve Chesney, will step down as CEO. Chesney will remain chairman of the board of Seaga and its respective subsidiaries.
Seaga’s board of directors unanimously elected Mike Freund to succeed Chesney as chief executive officer of Seaga/AMS.
Chesney founded Seaga in 1987 in a one-stall garage in Shannon, Illinois. He successfully produced and marketed an innovative vending machine design named the SuperVend 2000, which soon became an industry standard. After manufacturing thousands of vending machines in Shannon, Chesney moved its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility to Freeport, Illinois, where it remains today. Seaga has grown to become a recognized leading platform for automatic retail dispensing and modular intelligent inventory control solutions, satisfying the food and beverage, industrial, water filtration and healthcare markets.
In 2004, Seaga acquired Karna Industries in New Delhi India, now known as Seaga India Private Ltd., positioning Seaga to supply its products to customers throughout the world. Seaga recently acquired Automated Merchandising Systems (AMS), a leading brand of automatic retail dispensing equipment in North America. With this most recent acquisition, Seaga has four manufacturing facilities, in three countries, allowing it the scale to support the largest multi-national corporations in the world.
“Steve has built an industry-leading company over the past 35 years, which is positioned perfectly for innovation and growth, with a dedicated team of industry professionals spanning over two continents,” Gary Partridge, president of Seaga, said in the announcement. “Steve has been a mentor to many, and his influence has made an indelible impact on generations of professionals within Seaga and throughout our industry. I want to thank Steve for his vision to create and build a company with a lasting legacy that will prosper and excel within our marketplace.”
About Mike Freund
Freund’s broad background in industrial automation and power management fits well with the needs of Seaga. He held leadership roles with Square D and Schneider Electric and, most recently, led the U.S. subsidiary of Rittal as its CEO.
“Mike brings many years of leadership experience that will help us achieve the next level of success. His customer focus, positive outlook, and ability to deliver results will be keys to our future growth,” Chesney added in the announcement.
Seaga’s recent addition of AMS will further solidify its strong foundation. Freund aims to foster teamwork across both organizations, capture new markets and maximize the global manufacturing footprint.
“I am proud to join the Seaga team at this critical moment,” Freund said in the announcement. “Steve Chesney built a strong business, and his legacy will endure for a long time. The potential for growth, especially with the addition of AMS, is fantastic. Our team of dedicated people will work together with a clear vision to deliver outstanding customer experiences.”
Chesney added in the announcement, “As we move into the next phase of our growth plan, we are excited for Mike to take the helm. He has the expertise to guide the team through these challenging times, accelerate our growth, and work with our customers to ensure a positive future for Seaga and AMS.”
Seaga is a world leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of advanced vending technologies and modular intelligent inventory control solutions. Seaga/AMS manufactures, sells, distributes and supports its diversified product line from its manufacturing and Corporate Headquarters in Freeport, Illinois. With additional manufacturing and business operations located in Kearneysville, West Virginia, Guadalajara, Mexico, and New Delhi, India, Seaga supplies its equipment worldwide, including North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
