El Paso manufacturing facility proprietor Matt Keats’ memorial service at his beloved Chihuahuas ballpark
A memorial service shall be held on the El Paso Chihuahuas’ ballpark for well-liked El Paso businessman Matt Keats, who turned one of many metropolis’s greatest boosters after shifting right here about 30 years in the past to open a manufacturing facility.
Keats, 66, died Might 10 due to issues from again surgical procedure.
He was co-owner and co-chairman of Keats Manufacturing, his household’s 65-year-old Chicago-area steel components manufacturing firm. It operates three factories, together with one in Mexico, with about 260 workers and about $50 million in annual gross sales.
He moved from his hometown Chicago to El Paso in 1994 to open Keats Southwest, the primary department for the household enterprise. The manufacturing facility produces hundreds of small steel components for merchandise assembled in Mexico for the automotive, equipment, and different industries.
“He was a pioneer, that is what I referred to as him,” stated brother Wade Keats, 69, who for years was Keats Manufacturing chief govt officer. Now, he is co-chairman and co-owner.
He was a pioneer as a result of Keats Manufacturing was one of many first out-of-town suppliers of the maquiladoras, or manufacturing crops in Juárez, to open a factory in El Paso as the North American Free Trade Agreement took impact in 1994, Wade Keats stated.
“He was very pleased with what he completed at Keats Southwest. He additionally was very pleased with El Paso, he beloved it,” Wade Keats stated. “He was actually excited concerning the (space’s) progress and the alternatives. He was such an advocate for El Paso.”
The manufacturing facility grew from eight workers and $1 million in gross sales in 1994 to 70 workers and about $15 million in gross sales at present. It is at 11425 Rojas Drive in East El Paso.
Matt Keats was president of the manufacturing facility for 27 years till he stepped again from day-to-day operations in 2021, his brother stated. However he continued to work part-time.
He was an outgoing individuals one who simply made pals and had an important humorousness.
That was demonstrated by the outpouring of form phrases about Keats from greater than 240 individuals who commented, together with some outstanding El Paso enterprise individuals, on Facebook and LinkedIn after his loss of life was introduced.
“All of us joked that Matt was the unofficial mayor of El Paso” as a result of he knew somebody wherever he went in El Paso, his sons, Dean and Brian, wrote in the social media posts asserting their father’s loss of life. Dean, 32, and Brian, 30, are high quality engineers on the household’s firm. Brian works in El Paso and Dean within the Illinois plant.
“Matt by no means met a stranger. When you shook arms with him, you could possibly be pals with him. And that is the way in which he was,” stated Jim Paul, former El Paso Diablos baseball team owner and former CEO of Hospice El Paso, who turned pals with Keats simply over 10 years in the past.
He additionally “knew when individuals had been bs-ing. That was a real high quality of his,” Paul stated.
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Keats was a board member of Hospice El Paso and was concerned for years within the Dawn Rotary Membership of El Paso, together with serving as president twice and being energetic within the El Paso Chamber. He additionally was a former member of the El Paso County Civil Service Fee, together with serving as chairman.
He was an enormous sports activities fan who enthusiastically adopted the Chihuahuas minor league baseball team, the Rhinos beginner hockey crew and numerous College of Texas at El Paso groups.
His El Paso manufacturing facility workplace was filled with sports activities memorabilia from Chicago and El Paso.
Moreover attending quite a few sporting occasions, the bass guitarist additionally attended numerous rock live shows. His last Facebook post in April was about attending his 10th ZZ Top concert.
He was not solely a accomplice along with his brother and a cousin within the firm began by the brothers’ father and an uncle in 1958. He additionally was “my finest buddy,” Wade Keats stated.
Their cousin, Matt Eggemeyer, is now firm CEO. The brothers’ youthful sister, Paula Keats, is retired from the corporate.
The brothers talked day by day by cellphone for not less than an hour.
“He was simply fantastic to be round. We had lots in frequent,” Wade Keats stated.
“It has been devastating for me,” he stated of his brother’s loss of life.
The celebration of life ceremony shall be at 5 p.m., Friday, Might 31, at Southwest College Park in Downtown El Paso. Jim Paul will emcee. One other ceremony shall be held later in Chicago.
“He wasn’t very non secular. … We’ll most likely sprinkle just a few of his ashes across the ballpark, that was his church. He beloved it there,” Wade Keats stated.
Vic Kolenc could also be reached at 915-546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter, now often called X.
Matt Keatz celebration of life data
When: 5 p.m., Friday, Might 31
The place: Southwest College Park, 1 Ball Park Plaza
This text initially appeared on El Paso Occasions: Memorial for El Paso businessman Matt Keats set at Chihuahuas ballpark
