Greene Tweed is a manufacturer of high-performance elastomers, advanced-engineered thermoplastics, high-performance thermoplastic composites, and integrated material solutions with facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Kevin Lukiewski was appointed president of Greene Tweed in March 2020, just days before severe restrictions were adopted to contain the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
He was charged with steering the company through the digital, manufacturing, and technology transformation needed to respond to rapid technological changes on the horizon. To meet those challenges, Greene Tweed is investing in new methods of increasing production capability, improving quality control, and integrating data systems. The infrastructure investment is backed by a commitment to a series of company principles focused on doing business ethically, respecting employee views and opinions, and delivering value to customers.
During his 20-year tenure at Greene Tweed, Mr. Lukiewski first served as controller, then chief financial officer; along the way he gained a deep understanding of the business’ financial foundations. He also served as general manager of the company’s semiconductor business, which provided insight into the company’s commercial side. Before joining Greene Tweed, Lukiewski worked in public accounting, serving as a KPMG senior audit manager.
This mix of commercial and financial leadership experience makes Lukiewski well placed to negotiate a balance between potential new product innovations and financial realities.
Family-owned Greene Tweed takes a long view on positioning for the future. That foundation gives Greene Tweed the ability to take on risks and invest in different opportunities.
In discussing the types of investments needed, Lukiewski uses the analogy of a personal investment portfolio and urges the kind of diversification and balanced approach recommended by financial counselors. He cited three key areas that must be balanced – investments in people and training, new technologies and product development, and purchasing equipment to increase capacity.
