Laurence Bettcher

Larry Bettcher is President of Sandusky Bay Company, a real estate investment company, as well as CEO of the Bettcher Foundation. Bettcher is the retired Chairman and CEO of Bettcher Industries, Inc. in Birmingham, OH, a family-owned corporation originally founded by Bettcher’s father Louis in 1944. Bettcher Industries, with offices in Switzerland, China, and Brazil, is a manufacturer of food processing equipment. Its products are sold worldwide, including in Europe, South America, and Asia. Bettcher was also CEO of Bettcher Industries Inc.’s subsidiaries Gainco, Inc. in Gainesville, Georgia, which is a manufacturer of high speed sorting, weighing, and material handling equipment for the meat and poultry industry, and Exsurco Medical in Birmingham, OH, with the mission to redefine excision science for tissue banks and burn units.

Bettcher is a director on the National Museum of Great Lakes Board, Erie County Community Foundation, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and the BGSU Firelands College Leadership Council. Larry has also served on numerous bank boards, including Society Bank, Firelands KeyBank, and First Citizens Bank Corp.

He previously served as President of the Meat Industry Supply Association, and was a member of the Meat Machinery Manufacturers Institute. He chaired the Sandusky State Theatre restoration project, and served in various capacities with United Way, BGSU Firelands, and Boy Scouts of America Firelands Council. Larry was past board member of the Greater Erie County Marketing Group, the Ohio Commodores, and served as past president of the Erie County Board of Health. He is a member of Ohio Wesleyan Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He was also vice chairman for Stein Associates, a manufacturer of industrial cooking and coating equipment, ultimately acquired by Frigoscandia. Additionally, he was honored by Leadership Lorain County as Man of the Year. In 2015, Bettcher was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame.

Bettcher and his wife Karen divide their time among their home in Vermilion and seasonal homes on Captiva Island, Florida and in Killarney, Ontario, Canada. Bettcher graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with majors in economics and history. He also attended Columbus Technical Institute and the National School for the Meat Industry. Larry has a daughter Hallie.