About John William "Bill" Ricketts

BSME 1961, MSM
MBA 1971, Drury University-Breech School
Professional ME 1998, UMR
OGS Member

Bill began his career at Southwestern Bell in St. Louis in 1961. He took leave in order to serve in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1962 through 1964, serving as a platoon leader, assistant post engineer, and company commander. He returned to Southwestern Bell, Joplin, MO., as a test center foreman, then on to Sikeston as a supervising wire chief. From 1966 through 1984 Bill was employed by Tamko Asphalt Products Company of Joplin, MO., working his way up from project engineer/plant engineer to vice president of manufacturing and, finally, senior vice president. From 1984-1990, he was president of Lunday Thagard Oil Company in Los Angles, CA. From 1990-1995 he worked with Saint Gobain North America, first as vice president of operations for Certainteed Corporation, Valley Forge, PA.; then in 1992 he was named divisional vice president - North America for Norton Abrasives, Troy, N.Y. In 1995 he joined EMCO Corporation, London, Ontario, Canada, as president of its Roofing Group. In 1996 he was promoted to president of EMCO Building Products Corp, Montreal, Quebec.