Blue Springs business with 500 area employees, Fike Corp., names CEO

Fike Corp., which has about 500 employees in its Blue Springs manufacturing facility and headquarters, said Brad Batz has become chief executive officer in addition to being president.

Batz, 39, became president at the start of 2014, filling a long-vacant position. As CEO, he has succeeded Chuck Kopoulos, who retired and joined the company’s board of directors.

The family-owned business designs and builds systems that provide fire protection, explosion protection, overpressure protection and pressure activation for businesses around the globe. It employs about 1,100 in total.

Fike Corp. was founded in 1945 by Les Fike Sr., who is Batz’s grandfather on his mother’s side.

Before becoming president, Batz was executive vice president of the firm’s oil & gas business and previously led Fike’s corporate operations overseeing its manufacturing activities around the world.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Blue Springs business with 500 area employees, Fike Corp., names CEO."