NEENAH - Menasha Corporation's CEO is set to retire next month, and the former leader of the Fond du Lac-based Mercury Marine will take his place, the company announced Thursday.

Christopher D. Drees is set to succeed James M. Kotek on March 13 as the president and CEO of Menasha Corporation, an international manufacturing company that has its headquarters in Neenah. Drees will also join Menasha Corporation's board on that date, according to a news release.

Kotek said it has been "an extraordinary honor" to serve at the helm of the company for the last 14 years.

"To have had the opportunity to lead such a unique and historic business has been humbling," Kotek said in a statement. "I'm proud of the success we achieved and of every employee who contributed to making that success possible."

Kotek said he's "confident that Chris Drees is the right leader to build on that foundation and drive the (company) to even higher levels of success in the future."

Drees comes to Menasha Corporation from Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, where Drees worked for 24 years. Most recently, Drees served as president of Mercury Maine, which is headquartered in Fond du Lac.

“I am honored and excited to lead a company with such a long history of success and one that also gives so much back to the communities in which it operates," Drees said in the news release.

Drees's "strategic vision, deep manufacturing and operations experience and impressive leadership skillset make him a tremendous fit for Menasha Corporation’s CEO role,” according to Donald C. Shepard III, who is the chairman of the company's board of directors.

Shepard thanked Kotek for his 30-plus years with the company and wished him "all the best in his retirement."

"Jim led Menasha Corporation through a period of unprecedented growth while maintaining a singular focus on a guiding principle — people first," Shepard said in a statement.

Established in 1849, Menasha Corporation is a privately held, family-owned company that employs more than 7,500 employees in 105 facilities across North America and Europe.

Menasha Corporation is a corrugated and plastic packaging manufacturer and supply chain solutions provider. The company is made up of two businesses, Menasha Packaging Company and ORBIS Corporation.

In late January, ORBIS Corporation announced that Bill Ash would retire as president and be succeeded by Norm Kukuk on March 31.

Kukuk started with ORBIS in 1998, and he most recently held the role of executive vice president of sales and marketing.

"Our people and our products make a real impact on our customers' supply chains," he said. "There is no better time for sustainable, reusable packaging in this ever-evolving circular economy. It's my privilege to serve as a steward of this brand."

Ash joined ORBIS in 2003, and he has served as president since 2009.

"I worked with incredible employees, customers and community members, and am confident in ORBIS' continued success and growth under Norm's leadership and vision," Ash said in a statement.

Reach Becky Jacobs at bjacobs@gannett.com or 920-993-7117. Follow her on Twitter at @ruthyjacobs.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah's Menasha Corporation picks former Mercury Marine leader as CEO