MOUNT VERNON — High-ranking representatives from Cooper Industries made an appearance at the Knox County Historical Society Museum on Wednesday to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the company’s founding in Mount Vernon. Kirk Hachigian, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cooper Industries, also presented a donation to the historical society.
“It’s a pleasure to be here and we thank you all for your hospitality,” said Hachigian before speaking about the current state of Cooper Industries.
“The company is still in terrific shape,” said Hachigian, “we’re really proud of the financial condition of the company.”
Hachigian said Cooper Industries has four key markets, the largest of which is the industrial; half of that market is international.
“We’ve been expanding in South America [and] all over the world. Thirty-seven percent of our revenues last quarter came from international [markets],” said Hachigian.
Commercial construction, noted Hachigian, is also a large part of Cooper Industries.
Terry Klebe, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Cooper Industries, said the company is setting records and is in great shape for further growth.
Laura Ulz, vice president of operations for Cooper Industries, noted in her remarks that it is a dynamic time for the company.
Tom O’Grady, senior vice president of business development, talked about the company’s global expansion. Jon Safran, director of investment relations, was also present at the museum.
“The stock and the value of the company reflect the team we have and the businesses that you people managed for many, many years and the legacy that you left behind,” said Hachigian.
“It’s terrific [for the company] to be in good shape,” Hachigian continued, “but we think the future is still ahead of us.”
Hachigian presented a check in the amount of $17,500 — to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the company — to Jim Gibson, director of the Knox County Historical Society Museum.
“You guys have done a lovely job keeping the legacy and the history alive, and we certainly appreciate that,” said Hachigian.
Gibson said the donation was “a marvelous gesture that doesn’t happen here just every day.”
The remarks from the company’s representatives and presentation of the donation were followed by a tour of the museum, which contains many artifacts of Cooper Industries’ legacy in Mount Vernon, including several early steam engines manufactured by the company.
Cooper Industries was originally founded in Mount Vernon in 1833. The company’s corporate headquarters is now located in Houston, Texas, and it is incorporated in Bermuda. Worldwide, Cooper Industries has around 32,500 employees, according to Ulz.
Ken Stevenson, who served as president of Cooper Industries in Mount Vernon from 1990 to 1994, was present to meet Hachigian and the other Cooper representatives.
