September 23, 2005

Fitts Gives $10 million to Dept of Industrial Engineering

As part of the celebration of North Carolina State University’s Achieve! The Campaign For NC State kickoff today, the College of Engineering has announced that it will name the Department of Industrial Engineering in honor of a dedicated engineering alumnus, Edward P. Fitts, of Exton, Pa. The Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial Engineering will be the first named academic department in the history of the university.

Fitts is the chief executive officer of Dopaco, a Pennsylvania-based global packaging company. A long-time supporter of the College of Engineering and the Department of Industrial Engineering, Fitts earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 1961. In 2001, he was named Distinguished Engineering Alumnus for his achievements, and he currently devotes time to the college by serving on the NC State Engineering Foundation Board of Directors. His gifts to NC State include the Edward P. Fitts Scholarship established in 1999, the Edward P. Fitts Industrial Engineering Professorship established in 2002, and an unrestricted gift of $250,000 for the college in 2005. Fitts has pledged $10 million to endow the Department of Industrial Engineering. This latest commitment is the largest gift ever received by the College of Engineering from an individual donor and the largest endowed gift to academics in NC State University’s history.

“The College of Engineering continues to grow its national reputation, thanks in part to gifts like the one given by Ed Fitts,” said Chancellor James L. Oblinger. “We’re very pleased to have our first named academic department. This gift will ensure the success of Industrial Engineering students at NC State for years to come.”

“The College of Engineering is honored to receive a gift of such magnitude. Ed Fitts is an alumnus who continues to demonstrate his firm commitment to improving the quality of education offered at NC State. He is dedicated to demonstrating the strengths of our industrial engineering program, and through this gift, he offers new opportunities for even higher achievements by the department,” said Dr. Nino A. Masnari, dean of the College of Engineering. “Ed has been one of the college’s most devoted friends, and his leadership and vision are invaluable to us. This is truly a landmark event in our college’s history.”

Established in 1930, the Department of Industrial Engineering at NC State consistently ranks among the top 12 industrial engineering programs in the nation and is the leader in the US in the number of faculty members who are fellows of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE).

A native of Littleton, Fitts began his career with Sonoco Products Company, where he remained for 18 years, eventually becoming vice president of paperboard packaging. In 1979, he led a management team that purchased a paperboard packaging operation from Sonoco and renamed the company Dopaco. During Fitts’ tenure as chief executive officer, Dopaco grew from a company of 125 employees to more than 1,500 employees across seven plants, with sales of more than $350 million annually.

“The risk that Ed Fitts took to create such outstanding success against giant competitors in one of the most competitive industries in the nation speaks highly of the quality of leadership of our industrial engineering alumni,” said Dr. James R. Wilson, professor and head of the Department of Industrial Engineering.

With headquarters in eastern Pennsylvania, Dopaco is well known in the industry for its strong commitment to environmentally friendly packaging and processes, winning the prestigious Earth Effort Award from McDonald’s in 1993 and 1999. Numerous other industry leaders have also recognized Dopaco’s contributions.

Fitts serves on several boards, including Dopaco’s joint ventures with Rock-Tenn Company, Detmold Packaging in Australia, and Union Packaging and Best Diamond Packaging, both minority business enterprises.