Former U.S. Rep. Keller returns to private sector

Marcia Moore, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 1—After serving in public office for 12 years, former U.S. Rep. Fred Keller has returned to the private sector working as managing director of a custom cabinet manufacturing business in Lancaster County.

The Kreamer resident has been employed since early January at Rutt Quality Cabinetry, a New Holland company acquired by Snyder County businessman Bill French at the end of December.

"I'm doing things I was doing before I was elected to public office," said Keller, 57, who worked at Conestoga Wood Specialties for 25 years. He was employed as the plant manager when he ran for office in 2010 and was elected to serve the 12th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Keller, a Republican, remained in state politics until 2019 when he was elected to Congress. He decided not to seek a second term last year due to redistricting which would have pitted him against another Republican.

His new job was not planned when he quit politics.

"I wasn't actively looking," Keller said, noting the opportunity to work with French arose late last year. "Bill cares about the same thing I care about, people and the community."

French said he was approached by the owners of Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry last year about purchasing the company's assets when they decided to focus on a separate endeavor.

"I thought it would be a good business," he said of the company founded in 1951 that employs 84 people.

Aware of Keller's experience in the cabinet-making field and his work ethic, French said he asked the former congressman to join the company.

French, who purchased the assets of the former Wood-Mode Inc. following its abrupt closure in May 2019 that put nearly 1,000 people out of work, has rebuilt Wood-Mode LLC with about 500 employees and also owns Professional Building Systems in Middleburg.

All three of his companies operate independently, he said.

Last month, production at Wood-Mode LLC was closed due to a virus that infected the entire operation. After a three-week shutdown during which the computer systems were upgraded with added security, employees began returning Monday and all are expected to be back to work Thursday, general manager Rod Hunter said.

French said he anticipates Wood-Mode LLC will rebound quickly.

"We're making 350 cabinets a day, four days a week. We plan to get that up to 400 cabinets a day within a few months," he said.