Walt Benecki
About
Walt Benecki graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1961-62 with BS and MS Degrees in Ceramic Engineering. He began his business career with RCA as a Development Engineer and then returned to school to earn an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965. For the next ten years, Walt was with the Carborundum Company in assignments including Sales Engineer, Market Research Manager and Manager, New Product Development. In 1974 he joined the General Electric Company as Manager, Strategic Planning (Industrial Heating Department) and was later promoted to Marketing Manager (General Purpose Motors) and then to General Management (Engineering and Apparatus Services). In 1984, Walt joined the Copperweld Corporation as Group Vice President, Bimetallic Wire Products.
In 1989, Walt was appointed president of Arnold Engineering, a $50 million magnetic materials and components company headquartered in Illinois. By 2000, Arnold Engineering grew to become a highly profitable worldwide enterprise with sales of approximately $140 million. During that period, Arnold made numerous product line dispositions and strategic acquisitions. Arnold (now Arnold Magnetic Technologies) was one of the first companies in the magnetics industry to form Chinese strategic alliances and establish its own manufacturing operations in mainland China.
Walt was active in the Magnetic Materials Producers Association (now the Permanent Magnet Division of SMMA), acting as its President from 1994-1997. He is currently a board member of the Electric Motor Education and Research Foundation (EMERF), The Motor & Motion Association (SMMA) and Bunting Magnetics Company. Over the past twenty years, Walt has been a principle or strategic advisor for fifteen successful acquisitions, dispositions or joint ventures within the magnetics industry.