Today we’d like to introduce you to Fred Sutter.
Hi Fred, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always been driven to build and lead organizations that solve real-world problems. A majority of my early career was spent in product management. This role helped me gain a broad foundation across a variety of functional areas, including product development, sales, operations, and finance. The experience gave me a well-rounded perspective on how businesses grow and evolve. Over time, the experience enabled me to take on roles with increased responsibilities, leading teams and strategic initiatives, helping organizations navigate both challenges and opportunities.
I am an engineer at heart, and a big part of my success has been around leading an innovation process that helps companies create breakthroughs, new technology with a sustainable competitive advantage. I’ve been particularly motivated by industries where innovation and customer impact go hand in hand. That passion ultimately led me to Binks, where I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a talented team committed to delivering high-quality solutions in a competitive market.
Today, as CEO, my focus is on strengthening our culture, driving innovation, and ensuring we continue to provide meaningful value to our customers. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and excited about the opportunities ahead.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Helping companies achieve higher levels of performance is never an easy task. Throughout my career I have gravitated to opportunities that were significant challenges within the company. My experience is the bigger the challenge, the more opportunity there is for improvement.
One of the most significant recent challenges has been the transition from Carlisle Fluid Technologies to Binks, which involved more than just a name change. We brought together three strong, well-established brands (Binks, DeVilbiss, and Ransburg) under a unified identity. Each of those brands had its own legacy, customer base, and market perception, so aligning them into a single, cohesive brand required thoughtful strategy, clear communication, and disciplined execution across the organization.
At the same time, we operate in an increasingly challenging and dynamic global market. Supply chain disruptions, shifting customer expectations, increased competition, and broader economic uncertainty have all required us to stay nimble and forward-looking to achieve success.
What’s made the difference is our team. We’ve built a culture that embraces change and acts with agility. Our team is trained to anticipate challenges and adapt quickly while staying close to our customers and continuing to invest in innovation. We created a description of the culture – we call it The BInks Way. We use the letters in our name, B I N K S, to describe the behavior that we require every day – to be Bold, Innovative, Nimble, Knowledgeable, and Sustainable.
The challenges we have experienced have ultimately strengthened us. They’ve made us more aligned as an organization and better positioned to deliver value to our customers moving forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Binks has a rich history and legacy in the fluid handling Industry. Our founders—Joseph Binks, Dr. Devilbiss, and Harold Ransburg—were all inventors and entrepreneurs who created the entire industry that we are in today. Their ingenuity and spirit are what drive us to create advanced manufacturing solutions that power some of the most demanding manufacturing environments in the world. Our portfolio spans across products and systems that supply, apply, and cure sprayed and dispensed materials, serving a wide variety of industries, including the broad transportation industry, construction materials, wood furniture, consumer goods, and medical devices, as well as a host of other manufacturing industries.
What sets us apart is our combination of heritage, technical expertise, and forward-looking innovation. The Binks, DeVilbiss, and Ransburg brands each bring decades of experience, and together they allow us to deliver a uniquely comprehensive, end-to-end portfolio. Across the board, our solutions are designed to help customers improve performance while reducing waste and costs.
We’re also deeply focused on partnership. We don’t just supply equipment; we work closely with our customers to understand their processes and deliver tailored solutions that solve their real challenges. That customer-centric approach is a big part of why we’ve built long-standing relationships across the globe.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice would be to stay curious and be willing to take on challenges that stretch you. Early in your career, the most valuable thing you can do is build real experience, especially in areas that push you outside your comfort zone and learn from that experience.
It’s also important to stay close to the business. Understand how things actually work, whether that’s the product, the customer, or the operations behind it. That perspective becomes invaluable over time and leads to better decision-making as you grow into leadership roles.
If there’s one thing I wish I had appreciated earlier, it’s the importance of people and relationships. They shape your career far more than any single role or opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://binks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/binkscompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BinksCompany
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/binks-company
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBinksCompany
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/DeVilbissByBinks/
