SPIROL International Holding Corporation Board of Directors has announced the unanimous decision to appoint Jeffrey F. Koehl as Chairman of SPIROL International Holding Corporation. Jeff joined the company in 1997 and has been serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SPIROL International Corporation since his appointment in 2010.
Jeff succeeds his father, Hans H. Koehl, who passed away on November 30, 2023. Serving as Chairman of SPIROL International Holding Corporation since his appointment in 1969, Hans retired from active management of the company in 2004 after 45 of dedicated service. Hans’ vision, dedication, and passion led to the transformation of SPIROL from being a small, family-owned business in Northeast Connecticut into a world-renowned manufacturing company with locations on 4 continents and in 13 countries. It is impossible to put into words the unparalleled contributions that Hans made to SPIROL over the last 64 years – most importantly the education, coaching and mentoring of his son, Jeff, in preparation for him to be his successor.
SPIROL was co-founded in 1948 (then called Connecticut Engineering and Manufacturing Company) by Hans’ father and Jeff’s grandfather, Herman J. Koehl, Hans A. Prym, and Walther G. von Conta. After 75 years, the families of the three founding members are all still intimately involved with the company, with two serving as Directors on the Board.
While succeeding his father as Chairman is no insignificant task, Jeff is uniquely qualified for the position. As stated by Peter von Conta, Non-Executive Director of SPIROL and grandson of co-founder Walther G. von Conta, “As both a Shareholder and Director, I feel we are extremely fortunate to have planned for this natural succession and seamless transition to the Chairmanship. With Jeff, we undoubtedly have the leadership in place that will continue the unwavering commitment to our vision and values needed to ensure SPIROL’s continued success for generations to come.”
Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Brown University, and his MBA from Boston College. He has over 26 years of experience at SPIROL and has held a number of leadership positions prior to being appointed Chairman and CEO of SPIROL International Corp. Under Jeff’s direction, SPIROL has achieved profound success and growth including the establishment of numerous wholly-owned subsidiaries as well as the recent acquisition of Ford Aerospace in South Shields, England.
Given his proven accomplishments and his demonstrated capacity to skilfully lead the company through numerous unprecedented and extraordinary challenges, Jeff has the complete faith of the shareholders and support of the Board of Directors. Peter von Conta said, “As we embark on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Jeff is uniquely equipped to lead us through this pivotal era. We are excited about the future of SPIROL and look forward to the Company’s next chapter under Jeff’s strategic leadership as Chairman of the Board.”
