Krach Receives Nation’s Highest Manufacturing Honor

Keith Krach ’79 has been named the 2025 recipient of the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal.  The prestigious award, jointly awarded by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and SME (formerly known as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) is considered among the manufacturing sector’s highest honors, recognizing exceptional innovation and leadership that advance the science and practice of manufacturing. The award was presented to Keith at the SME Fall Gala on October 5 in Anaheim, California.

Keith Krach ’79, received the M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal, one of our country’s highest manufacturing honors. 

As chair of Purdue’s Board of Trustees from 2007-13, Keith helped guide a period of bold growth and transformation at Purdue. Today, his leadership continues through the Krach Institute, which advances trusted technology and U.S. and allied competitiveness on the global stage. Purdue President Mung Chiang remarked, “Keith’s ability to translate engineering excellence and economic strategy into global impact has redefined how we build, how we lead, and how we compete. At the intersection of technology and diplomacy, few have done more to advance U.S. productivity, resilience and freedom.”

“Krach’s career exemplifies how visionary leadership, entrepreneurial courage, and engineering excellence can deliver profound, lasting impact. His work continues to shape how the world designs, manufactures, trades, and transacts,” noted Thomas Costabile, executive director and CEO of ASME. Keith’s leadership has driven an estimated $4.5 trillion in cumulative global productivity gains, spanning five sectors and four decades — including robotics, engineering automation, business-to-business e-commerce, digital business productivity and semiconductor manufacturing.

Keith currently is chair of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, serves on the Global Tech Security Commission and the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council.

Keith’s ongoing efforts in the area of tech-diplomacy were highlighted in a recent Life & News article, “The Productivity Architect: How Keith Krach Rewired Trust, Technology, and American Competitiveness.”  This article details how Keith succeeded in each step of his career in building transformative and highly successful global businesses and the impact he has had on the U.S. and world economies.