Alumni Achievement Award: Steve Fairbanks

Steve Fairbanks was the president and CEO of Iowa Mold Tooling Co. (IMT) in Garner, Iowa, where he was hired by Private Equity in 2004 to develop a three-year strategic plan to turn around the company. IMT thrived under his leadership. Notably, revenue grew from $49 million to a record $115 million in just his first three years with the company. After the sale of the company to Oshkosh Corporation, he stayed on as president and has continued to guide IMT to further revenue records in 2009 and 2010 despite the failing economy.

Steve attended Lake Michigan College on a scholarship and graduated in 1979. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from
Michigan Technological University in 1981, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Baldwin Wallace College.

For Steve, LMC was far more than the sum of two years of education and an Associate in Science degree. He grew up on the LMC campus, as his dad, Dr. Larry Fairbanks, was a science instructor at the College for 24 years. He knew his dad’s colleagues by name. Steve even completed his Eagle Scout project by helping enlarge the nature trail system surrounding the Napier Avenue Campus.

An Alumni Achievement Award was presented to Steve Fairbanks in 2011.