Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> July 1, 2002
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON is President and Chief Executive Officer of
The Andersons, Inc. The Andersons started in 1947 with a 500,000-
bushel grain elevator in Maumee, Ohio, where the company is
based. Today the company operates in several other Ohio
communities plus Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The business
includes four primary groups; Agriculture, Processing, Rail and
Retail. Mr. Anderson graduated with his Masters in Management
from Northwestern University in 1975. From 1975 to 1978 he was an
Auditor for Arthur Young & Co., earning his CPA in 1976. In 1978,
Mr. Anderson began his career with The Andersons. He held various
positions within the Ag Group, from Grain Buyer to Grain
Purchasing Manager to Grain Division Manager to Vice President
and General Manager of the Grain Group. From 1994 to 1996 he was
Vice President and General Manager of the Retail Group. In
September 1996, he became the President and Chief Operating
Officer of The Andersons, Inc. He was named to his present
position in January 1999. Mr. Anderson is on the Board of
Directors of The Andersons, Inc., Interstate Bakeries Corp.,
Fifth Third Bank and the Advisory Board of Findley Davies, Inc.
He is also a Trustee and Officer of the YMCA of Greater Toledo.
He was the 1998 Campaign Chairman for the United Way of Greater
Toledo. He serves on the Advisory Committee of St. Patrick's of
Heatherdowns Church and the Advisory Board of the University of
Toledo Family Business Center. Profile
TWST: Can we start out with a quick overview of the company?Mr. Anderson: The company was founded in 1947 by my grandfather,
Harold Anderson, with a principal focus on the grain