French Oil Mill Machinery Company was honored to host Ohio Supreme Court judge, Justice Judith L. French, on June 12, 2013 for a meeting with our Chairman of the Board and CEO, Daniel P. French, and for a tour of our corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility.
The Piqua Daily Call published the following story covering her visit:
Supreme Court judge visits French Oil
By Will E Sanders
PIQUA – As a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Judith French believes it is important to get out of the courtroom and reconnect with business leaders and the issues they face as a way of gaining important insight.
On Wednesday, that mission is what brought the recently appointed state supreme court justice to one of the most well-known businesses in the city of Piqua: The French Oil Mill Machinery Co.
Justice French met with the company’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Daniel French, and went on a tour of the manufacturing facility, which is located at 1035 W. Greene St.
Her visit to Piqua was the 55th Ohio county the judge has visited this year and she said she intends to visit all 88 counties.
“I find plant tours are fun and interesting and gives good insight into what is happening in Ohio. Ultimately that helps me be a better justice … to know what the issues are and what they (business leaders and workers) face every day,” she said. “I thought this would be a great introduction to Miami County and Piqua. Everywhere I go I get to see the diversity of the state.”
The justice became the 155th justice on the state supreme court in January after she was appointed by Gov. John Kasich the previous month. She had previously served as an appeals court judge at the Tenth District Court of Appeals and also served as the chief legal counsel to former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft.
Employing approximately 80 employees, French Oil was established in 1900 and has customers in 80 countries worldwide. The company manufactures preparation equipment and mechanical screw presses for the oilseed industry with extended applications for the rubber and polymer industries, according to their website.
Justice French said it has been great to see the innovation at each place she travels to, and she added she loves meeting the people.
“One thing that has really struck me are all the people you meet,” she said. “With every community there are different people and different businesses, but so much is the same. The same in terms of the feeling of the community and wanting to live where they live. It’s been very positive.”
Daniel French agreed, saying that he first met the justice while recently attending an Ohio Manufacturers Association board meeting where the judge was giving a presentation.
“We’re very pleased to have an opportunity to host an Ohio Supreme Court justice, it’s not something you get to do every day,” he said. “To have a chance to talk about problems and issues that a guy trying to make an honest living in Piqua, Ohio, faces is great.”
He also noted that he and other employees with the business were “excited” to have the opportunity to show the justice the plant and what they manufacture there. Justice French, no relation to Daniel French, said she was just as “excited,” too.
“I hope to see what they do here and learn more about it, but also to see the people that work here” she said before taking the tour. “This facility is a part of the community, that really tells me something about how ingrained this company is, it’s physically a part of this community.”