John Meier, formerly chairman and CEO of Libbey Inc., died on March 2 2017 at age 69, in Sylvania, OH. Meier had an accomplished 41-year career with Libbey, Inc. and its predecessor company, Owens-Illinois, Inc. from 1970 until his retirement as chairman and CEO on July 31, 2011. His significant achievements included taking Libbey public on the New York Stock Exchange in June 1993 and leading Libbey to a number one market share in the U.S. He also built Libbey into a leading international company. Meier also had extensive interaction in Washington, D.C. on international trade matters, most notably concerning NAFTA, WTO and GSP proceedings. He also had varied experiences with regulatory agencies including the FDA and the FTC. In addition to his duties with Libbey Inc., Meier served on the board of numerous companies and non-profits including: Society Bank, National Houseware Manufacturers Association, The Toledo Hospital, The Toledo Museum of Art, the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey Trusts, Homeward World Business, The Toledo Zoo, Wittenberg University, Cooper Tire and Rubber Company and Applied Industrial Technologies. He was also past chairman of the Greater Toledo Area United Way Campaign. Born September 28, 1947 in Beaver Falls, PA, he graduated from Rochester High School in 1965. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Wittenburg University in Springfield, OH, where he twice served as president of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and played quarterback for the football team and pitcher for the baseball team. He was awarded his MBA from Bowling Green State University where he had served since 2012 as executive in residence, teaching in the MBA program. He is survived by his wife of 45 years Ann Meier; children, Lizzie Utt and John Meier; and grandchildren, Thomas and Charlie Utt. He was predeceased by a brother, William.
