Metcalf Named Spring 2014 Executive-in-Residence by UW-River Falls College of Business and Economics

March 19, 2014---Stephen J. Metcalf, president and CEO of Air Motion Systems (AMS), has been named the spring 2014 Executive-in-Residence by the College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Metcalf will speak on Monday, March 31, at 2 p.m. in the Riverview Ballroom in the University Center. His presentation, "It's Not WHO You Know, but HOW . . . and Other Strategies from a Global CEO," is free and open to the public. 

As CEO and co-entrepreneur behind Air Motion Systems, Metcalf will discuss reasons a company should rightly fail, as well as some keys to prevailing in business and life despite the subtle ways we can unwittingly sabotage our own success. He will draw lessons from his personal business story about taking calculated risks, opening new markets, being persistent, and experiencing failures, as well as finding some hidden beaches. 

Air Motion Systems, Inc. | AMS UV is one of North America's most prominent and innovative UV systems providers for the global graphic arts industry. Under Metcalf's leadership, AMS became one of the first traditional UV systems producers to thoroughly embrace LED UV technology, a more energy efficient and easier form of UV that is now sweeping the industry. AMS today holds multiple patents on LED UV curing technology, and its award-winning Peak LED UV™ XP Series system is the market leading technology for retrofitting LED onto multiple types of offset and flexo presses. 

AMS was awarded the 2013 Small Business of the Year from the St. Croix Economic Development Corporation, was honored as a 2011 "Wisconsin Company to Watch" by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN), and received the 2009 Innovation Award by the Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation. 

"We are very happy to have Steve Metcalf as our spring Executive-in-Residence," said Glenn Potts, dean of the College of Business and Economics. "He has led Air Motion System to become a very exciting company with a bright future. His experience will greatly benefit our students and help them better understand the nature and challenges of business." 

Metcalf is the 23rd executive to bring his observations and experience to UWRF since the Executive-in-Residence program began in 2003. The program enables today's leaders to share their experiences with the leaders of tomorrow, and is sponsored by the UWRF College of Business and Economics and First National Bank of River Falls.   

For more information, visit www.uwrf.edu/CBE or contact Stephanie Cold at 715-425-3335 or stephanie.cold@uwrf.edu.