James Feeney, First President of W&H Corp., Dies

James (Jim) K. Feeney, the first president of Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp., died on July 3 at the age of 85, the company announced in a press release. 

A strong leader with vision and conviction, Feeney was named  president of W&H’s North American operations in Rhode Island in 1977, a position he held until he retired in 2001. His became the face of the company and was known as a man of his word, W&H said. This trustworthiness and integrity became the foundation of the culture he instilled in his team and remains firmly anchored today, 20 years after his retirement.

Feeney was described an enthusiastic member and respected voice of the packaging industry by customers and competitors alike. He was considered to be among the most insightful and well-prepared speakers in the industry. He served on the boards of the industry’s major trade associations, including president of the Flexible Packaging Association and as chairman of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute. In addition, the Flexographic Technical Association honored him with the President’s Award in 1999 and later inducted him into its Hall of Fame.

Said Andrew Wheeler, current president of W&H Corp., “Jim was able to very clearly juxtapose the advanced German machinery with the American way of thinking. He had an incredible appreciation for and understanding of the German management as well as the customer's mindset. He inherently knew that his job was to not only "sell" the North American customers, but also to make sure that our German colleagues were on board as well.

“He was selling trust...in him, as well as the company. He was the perfect kind of guy to work for; he was affable, stern and straight forward. You knew where you stood with him always. I can’t think of anyone I would have preferred to have learned from and work with.”

Feeney is surived by his wife, Sandra; three sons, Jim Jr., Patrick; and Dan, daughter-in-law Mackie, and four granddaughters, Jaymi, Minerva, Tyler and Jesse.