Sanjana Kuhmbani
Contributing Writer
If a background in art, international business and politics doesn’t scream liberal arts, then what does? This year, the Business Economics department at the College is bringing the CEO of Crown Equipment Corporation, James F. Dicke II, as part of the James R. Wilson lecture series.
This lecture series brings business and financial leaders to the campus to share perspectives from their professional experiences with the students, faculty and the community.
Dicke has an extremely versatile background; this involves studying painting while in boarding school, pursuing a degree in Business while attending Trinity University in Texas and also assisting William McCulloch, a C.O.W. alum and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dicke is now leading a private, family-owned business based in New Breman, Oh. which generates almost $3 billion in revenue annually and employs approximately 14,000 people.
Anyone who has ever purchased anything from Amazon or Walmart (arguably, all of us), has indirectly interacted with Crown Equipment Corporations’ products. The company is a global player in the manufacturing of powered industrial forklifts and has made it to Forbes list of the ‘‘largest private companies” in the United States.
Even though it is based in rural western Ohio, the company has a significant international presence, including in places like Germany, China, Singapore and Australia.
Given the current political climate and ongoing discussions regarding international trade, Dicke’s lecture titled “The Value of Being Private: The Economics and Politics of Manufacturing in an International Context,” is rather timely.
His company has successfully navigated the complexities of international markets for several years now, benefitting his employees, customers and the surrounding community.
In the past, the Wilson Lectures series has mostly brought executives of publicly traded companies; thus, according to Professor of Business Economics, John Sell, “It will be very interesting to hear about how to successfully lead a family-owned business in a small town in Ohio which has become a market leader in the material handling business.”
As Forbes magazine says, Crown Equipment is the “BMW of forklifts.”
In spite of his busy schedule leading an international business corporation, Dicke stays true to his liberal arts background by serving as Chairman of Commissions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which holds some of his own artwork and also has other affiliations with the Arts.
“He is very broadly based — an exemplar of the best of the liberal arts world,” said Sell.
Unlike a lot of other lectures taking place for large audiences, the Wilson lectures allows the attendees to interact with the speaker in a more informal setting after the lecture — thus allowing students to develop a more personal connection with the speaker.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Wed., Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilson Governance Room of the Scot Center.