Who We Are and What We Do

Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. (EBI), founded in 1836, is a privately-owned high technology conglomerate focused in space & defense, pet food science, and biotechnology.  We participate in businesses that are relevant to the future of the world and have multigenerational growth prospects.  EBI companies are unified by a common shared operating system and a common set of values.

Leadership

  • Brad Ellis
    Brad Ellis
    President & CEO of Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.
    Brad Ellis
    Brad Ellis
    President & CEO of Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.

    Brad joined Ensign-Bickford Industries in January 2023 as President and CEO. He is a seasoned and proven business leader with a track record of success.

    Brad joined EBI from Danaher Corporation where he served as Vice President & Group Executive of the Water Quality Platform. Brad joined the Water Quality Platform first as President of Hach. He previously worked in Danaher’s Product Identification Platform as President of Videojet.

    Brad earlier spent 23 years at Crane Co. in a diverse set of leadership positions. He was Senior Vice President of Crane’s Fluid Handling and Engineered Materials businesses for 5 years, as well as Group President of Crane’s Payment and Merchandising Technologies businesses for 13 years where he led organic and inorganic transformation of a hardware-only business into a cloud-connected business with digitally enabled services and software workflow solutions. Prior to those roles, he served as Vice President of Crane Business System and Chief Information Officer. He also held various corporate responsibilities over his tenure at Crane Co. spanning global supply chain management, high growth markets, and philanthropy, sustainability, and equality.

    Prior to joining Crane Co., Brad worked for Arthur Andersen’s Business Consulting Group in the Pacific Northwest practice, helping manufacturing companies through targeted process improvement and system implementations to enhance profitability and efficiency.

    Brad holds a BS in Business Administration with emphasis in Marketing and Finance from the University of California Berkeley.

  • Kim Hendricks
    Kim Hendricks
    Chief Financial Officer
    Kim Hendricks
    Kim Hendricks
    Chief Financial Officer

    Kim joined EBI as Chief Financial Officer in September 2020 with an exceptional track record of success as a financial executive.

    Prior to EBI, Kim served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer at Hexcel Corporation, Vice President and Corporate Controller of International Flavors and Fragrances and Vice President, Finance of JLG Industries. Earlier in her career, Kim held various finance leadership positions with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, ITT Industries, RH Macy Company, and Deloitte & Touche.

    Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Bloomsburg University and an MBA in Finance and International Business from New York University.

     

  • Kelly Frauenknecht
    Kelly Frauenknecht
    Chief Human Resources Officer
    Kelly Frauenknecht
    Kelly Frauenknecht
    Chief Human Resources Officer

    Kelly is a seasoned Human Resource leader with over twenty years of diverse industry experience. She is a dynamic, results-oriented leader who excels at attracting and retaining high-performing teams; and brings to EBI deep passion and expertise in talent acquisition, talent planning, talent development, leadership coaching, and HR systems optimization.

    Kelly joined EBI in January 2018 as the HR Leader for Honeybee Robotics, was appointed EBI Vice President, Human Resources in October 2018 and Chief Human Resources Officer in November 2020. Prior to EBI, Kelly held diverse HR and Talent leadership roles with Danaher Corporation, Fortive Corporation and their various operating companies including Fluke, Hach and Gilbarco Veeder-Root.  Her industry experience spans electronic instrumentation, water quality technology, retail fueling equipment and more.

    Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from California State University, Chico and a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management from Linfield College.

    Kelly and her family reside in Colorado where they enjoy the Rocky Mountains and global travel adventures.

  • Brendan Kehoe
    Brendan Kehoe
    Chief Information Officer
    Brendan Kehoe
    Brendan Kehoe
    Chief Information Officer

    Brendan joins EBI from Crane Co., a global diversified manufacturer, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in IT, operational excellence and business leadership. He joined Crane in 1998 as Manager, Information Technology and was promoted to Director in 2000. In 2004 he was promoted to Chief Information Officer where he developed and executed an IT strategy driving value at the Corporate and Business Segment levels.  As part of the Crane Business System team, Brendan helped develop Crane’s Value Stream Linkage methodology. In 2011 Brendan moved to the Crane Merchandising Systems business as VPGM of Streamware – an ERP software provider for the vending industry where his main focus was growing an “internet of things” business with connected vending machines – enabling cashless, driving efficiencies with real-time telemetry data and delivering advertising to touchscreens.

    Prior to Crane, Brendan worked in technology-enabled process improvement as part of Arthur Andersen’s Business Consulting Group in the Pacific Northwest. He started his career at In Focus Systems in Portland, OR as an Industrial Engineer and then with a spinoff startup company, Sarif, where he was promoted to Production Manager after wearing multiple hats including manufacturing engineer, IT analyst, and cost accountant.

    Brendan holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.

  • Matt Lewis
    Matt Lewis
    General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
    Matt Lewis
    Matt Lewis
    General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

    Matt has over 20 years of experience practicing law both in law firm and corporate settings.  He is a former commercial litigator with more than 15 years of experience working in-house.  He possesses expertise in the legal areas of corporate governance, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, international business development, regulatory compliance, marketing and advertising, employment, and shareholder relations.  Prior to his role as General Counsel, Matt served the company in a variety of capacities, including acquisitions and divestitures, commercial contracting, business development, employment, and corporate governance.  Prior to joining EBI, Matt was an Assistant General Counsel at General Mills and a Division Attorney at 3M Corporation.  Matt is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

    Matt is also President & CEO of Ensign-Bickford Realty Corporation, an EBI subsidiary that provides real estate sales and leasing services for portfolio properties of EBI.

  • Chad Thompson
    Chad Thompson
    President, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense
    Chad Thompson
    Chad Thompson
    President, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense

    Chad J. Thompson joined Ensign-Bickford Industries in October 2018 as President of Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense. In this role, he leads an organization focused on the design, manufacturing, test, and qualification of energetic, electronic, and electro-mechanical solutions used in a variety of aerospace & defense systems. Mr. Thompson has over 25 years of experience in the industry and has held key positions in Engineering, Operations, Continuous Improvement and Strategy Development. He has worked within several successful businesses including Raytheon (ex-Goodrich and Pratt & Whitney), Kaman, and the Boeing Company.

    Mr. Thompson grew up on a farm in Vermont. He graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently lives in Simsbury, CT with his wife and 3 children.

  • Bill Welch
    Bill Welch
    Group President, Diagnostic Solutions Group
    Bill Welch
    Bill Welch
    Group President, Diagnostic Solutions Group

    Bill assumed the President’s position at our EnviroLogix® business in 2016. Prior to this leadership role, Bill was responsible for the development and deployment of EBI’s operating system (EBOS), EBI’s approach to the creation of processes and tools to execute business unit strategy and support continuous improvement in all areas of the business – growth, operational excellence and talent development.

    Before joining EBI, Bill worked for Danaher Corporation in a variety of global sales, marketing, operations and operational excellence leadership roles. Prior to Danaher, Bill held increasing levels of responsibility in human resources, operations and operational excellence for Eaton Corporation (formerly Cooper Industries).

    Bill obtained his undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University and his MBA from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

Board of Directors

  • Timothy E. Ellsworth
    Timothy E. Ellsworth
    Director since 1994
    Timothy E. Ellsworth
    Timothy E. Ellsworth
    Director since 1994

    Timothy E. Ellsworth joined EBI as a summer employee in 1968 and as a permanent employee in 1976.  After various executive roles at EBI’s Darworth Company, Ensign-Bickford Optics, Corporate Development and Corporate Research units, Mr. Ellsworth formed and led Ensign-Bickford Coatings Company and was CEO of Advanced Glass Treatment Systems (AGTS).  In 1994, he resigned from the Company, acquired AGTS from EBI and joined the EBI Board of Directors, as a fifth-generation family member and successor to his father, John E. Ellsworth, former President and Chairman.  Mr. Ellsworth serves on the Governance and Nominating, Compensation and Proxy Committees.   In addition to his Board work for EBI, Tim is CEO of The Peak Experience, LLC, a real estate investment company, and participates on various other corporate and non-profit boards.  He is also a former member of the Simsbury Economic Development Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.  Mr. Ellsworth holds a BFA degree from St. Lawrence University and completed his MFA and MBA degrees at R.I.T.

  • Christopher S. Fuselier
    Christopher S. Fuselier
    Director since 2007
    Christopher S. Fuselier
    Christopher S. Fuselier
    Director since 2007

    Christopher S. Fuselier is a graduate of Michigan State University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with Masters Degrees in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering.  Mr. Fuselier retired from General Electric in 2007 where he held a variety of engineering, marketing and sourcing positions in GE’s aerospace, corporate, factory automation and industrial systems operations.  He was Engineering leader of the GE Industrial division and the GE Executive for the University of Connecticut. Mr. Fuselier is the Principal of Fuselier Associates, an engineering consulting business.  In addition to his EBI Board membership, Chris is on the Engineering Advisory Board of the University of Connecticut. He is also on the Chairman Emeritus Board of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England.  Mr. Fuselier serves on EBI’s Compensation, Audit and Pricing Committees.

  • Frederick H. (Ted) Lovejoy III 
    Frederick H. (Ted) Lovejoy III 
    Chairman of the Board
    Frederick H. (Ted) Lovejoy III 
    Frederick H. (Ted) Lovejoy III 
    Chairman of the Board

    Frederick H. (Ted) Lovejoy III has served as an EBI Director since 2018 and as Chairman of the Board since 2022. He has more than 15 years of experience in the investment management industry, most recently as a Managing Director at C|A Capital Management, Cambridge Associates’ discretionary Outsourced CIO business, where he managed endowment assets on behalf of U.S. based nonprofit institutions. He previously worked at Analysis Group, Inc., where he advised clients on a broad range of financial and economic regulatory issues. Mr. Lovejoy holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BA, Phi Beta Kappa, in Economics and Public Policy from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Mr. Lovejoy is also a CFA charter holder. In addition to serving on the EBI Board, he is a member of the Investment Committee at the Fenn School. Mr. Lovejoy is the Chair of EBI’s Audit Committee and a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating and Proxy Committees.

  • Cheryl P. Morley
    Cheryl P. Morley
    Director since 2016
    Cheryl P. Morley
    Cheryl P. Morley
    Director since 2016

    Cheryl P. Morley joined the EBI Board of Directors in 2016.  Ms. Morley spent 26 years in a number of leadership roles with Monsanto Company, a global leader in the agricultural industry.  As Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy she oversaw mergers, acquisitions and Monsanto’s venture fund.  She previously held a number of business and leadership positions at Monsanto, G.D. Searle, NutraSweet Company and Nabisco.  Ms. Morley has served on Boards for both publicly traded and privately held companies.  She is also involved in several non-for-profit boards including Mercy Healthcare and the Missouri Botanical Gardens, one of the top three research gardens in the world. She holds a BS degree from the University of Arizona and is a Certified Public Accountant.  Ms. Morley serves on EBI’s Audit, Compensation and Pricing Committees.

     

     

  • David C. Ray
    David C. Ray
    Director since 2021
    David C. Ray
    David C. Ray
    Director since 2021

    David C. Ray joined the EBI board in 2021. He is currently the senior vice president and lead for the Space Business Unit within Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). In this role, he is responsible for leading the $1.3 billion Space Business Unit with customers spanning the intelligence, defense, and federal/civil agencies. Prior to his current position, David served as president of the Government and Defense Business Unit at FLIR Systems, Inc. where was responsible for leading all aspects of the $900 million business unit, including strategy, research and development, operations, business development, and marketing. Previously, he spent 15 years at Raytheon Company and held several leadership roles in general management and business development from 2002 to 2017. His most recent role with the company was as vice president, Global Business Development and Strategy for the company’s $6 billion Intelligence, Information, and Services Segment, serving intelligence, Department of Defense, federal/civilian agencies, and international customer markets. Prior to his career at Raytheon, he served as a senior management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and started his career serving 5 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. David received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Science degree in systems management and strategy from Central Michigan University.

  • Stuart A. Taylor II
    Stuart A. Taylor II
    Director since 2021
    Stuart A. Taylor II
    Stuart A. Taylor II
    Director since 2021

    Mr. Stuart A. Taylor II joined the EBI Board of Directors in 2021, and is the Founder of The Taylor Group, a private equity firm that invests in and builds businesses in partnership with high potential entrepreneurs. He also serves on the boards of several public companies including Ball Corporation, a global packaging and aerospace company, Hillenbrand Inc., a diversified industrial manufacturer and Wabash National Corporation, a provider of solutions for the transportation, logistics and distribution industries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Taylor spent 19 years on wall street at firms including Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns.

  • Caleb E. White
    Caleb E. White
    Director Since 2000
    Caleb E. White
    Caleb E. White
    Director Since 2000

    Caleb E. White joined the EBI Board in 2000 and subsequently held multiple senior management positions at EBI from 2006-2014 including EBI President and CEO which he held for nearly 8 years.  Mr. White joined EBI from BP where he had worked in strategy, corporate development, finance and operations roles out of its London head office.  Mr. White is currently a Principal at The Center for Applied Research (CFAR) and provides advisory services to family and owner-led businesses with a focus on governance, strategy, succession and change management.  Mr. White is also an adjunct professor at Northeastern University where he teaches a course on family enterprise.  Mr. White has a B.A. from Yale University and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr.  White has a long heritage of family association with Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.  Mr. White has served on all EBI’s board committees, and now serves on the Proxy Committee and as Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees.   In addition to serving on the EBI Board, Mr. White is a Director of The Lee Company, Axiam Inc., and Brokers International Ltd where he serves as Lead Director.  Mr. White also serves on the Regional Alumni Advisory for Northwestern University and as a Trustee for Camp Mowglis.

185 Years of Innovation