New leadership at Waupaca Foundry

WAUPACA – On Feb. 10, the Waupaca Foundry, announced Michael Hawthorne as their new Chief Executive Officer. Hawthorne takes the helm from Mike Nikolai.
Hawthorne previously was the President of Specialty Manufacturing Group for JB Poindexter & Co., President & CEO of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC, and President & CEO of New York Air Brake, LLC. Hawthorne has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Syracuse University.
“We’re excited to welcome Mike Hawthorne to the Waupaca Foundry family,” said said Daniel Collin, Chairman of Waupaca Foundry. "He brings over 30 years of industry experience and understands the roles that engineering, design, system integration and operational excellence play in achieving breakthrough results. He will build on the strong foundation that Mike Nikolai has left here. We wish Mike Nikolai well and thank him for his contributions to the business.”
“I am honored to join Waupaca Foundry and look forward to working with the talented team to build upon the company’s strong foundation,” said Hawthorne. “Waupaca Foundry has a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality products and I am excited to lead the company to its next growth phase.”
Nikolai started at Waupaca Foundry in 1993 as a metallurgist and later moved up the ladder as a production manager, an assistant plant manager in Tell City, Ind., a plant manager in Etowah, Tenn., and vice president of operations. He was appointed president and COO on April 1, 2015. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin—Madison and holds a masters degree in metallurgical engineering as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Louisville.
In 2016, Nikolai replaced Gary Gigante as CEO when Gigante retired. In 2018, he received the Sustainable Leadership Award by Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, an award given for having sustainable, long-term business practices and not short-term market-driven goals. He served as the 49th board chairman of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce from 2022 to 2024.