Northwood University recognized William “Bill” Grote III, chairman and chief executive officer of Grote Industries, as one of six nationally known business men and women at its 30th annual Outstanding Business Leader (OBL) Awards Ceremony. The event was held in Palm Beach FL recently.
Grote began his career at Grote Industries as a district manager, then worked his way through several sales and marketing positions. In 1969, as the third generation of family took the helm at Grote, he was elected to the board of directors. In 1972, Grote was appointed director of OEM sales and in 1979 was promoted to vice-president of sales and marketing. He became president and CEO in 1989 and since 2004 has served as the company's chairman and CEO.
A 1962 graduate of Xavier University, Grote has served as a past president of the Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (TSEI), a former chairman of the Motor Equipment Manufacturer's Association (MEMA), and has held board seats with the Automotive President's Council, Automotive Sales Council, and the Heavy Duty Business Forum.
In 2007, Grote received the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) Leader of the Year Award.