Gene Simon

Gene Simon is an Operating Partner of Willis & Smith Capital, dedicated to its manufacturing initiative. Concurrently, Gene is acting Chief Executive Officer of J&E Companies, comprising Willis & Smith Capital portfolio companies totaling 7 facilities with over 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Gene is considered an expert in manufacturing operations and brings over 30 years of manufacturing expertise gained in numerous settings, from the manufacturing floor of a multi-billion dollar publicly traded company, to serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a $50 million in annual revenue forging company, where his contributions were instrumental toward EBITDA improvements. Most importantly, Gene is truly passionate about elevating the opportunities and working environment for each employee under his stewardship.

In addition to his duties overseeing a team of approximately 325 employees, Gene actively participates in strategic decisions about Willis & Smith Capital’s new manufacturing acquisitions, due diligence, and a variety of operational and efficiency-related improvements to enhance the potential of each opportunity.

His particular areas of interest and expertise include executive leadership, growth strategies, cost containment, transformative change, responsible automation, and Lean Six Sigma.

Gene holds a Bachelor’s degree in Welding Engineering from Ferris State University.