Chris Martinkat

By Sabrina McClure

Chris Martinkat, president and CEO of STOCKMEIER Urethanes USA, Inc., was born in Hamm, Germany, in 1976 to Edwin and Monika Martinkat. Even at a young age, Martinkat knew he wanted to be a CEO or stockbroker.

STOCKMEIER Urethanes was founded in 1991 by Martinkat’s father and Dr. Juergen Stockmeier.

“My father told me he would only start the business if I took it off his hands one day when he retired,” Martinkat
says. “Being a giddy, inexperienced 14-year-old who always wanted to be in business on his own, I made that promise.”

Martinkat’s first job as an adolescent was at his father’s company. Then, after high school and mandatory military service, he furthered his education at the University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld, Germany, where he earned a master’s degree in international business administration and marketing.

In summer 2000, Martinkat made his first trip to the U.S. for an internship at Bayer Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA. He then started his professional career at STOCKMEIER Urethanes in Germany as its global business development and sales manager.

In the early 2000s, STOCKMEIER Urethanes decided to invest in a manufacturing plant in the U.S. Martinkat was sent to the states to select the site for the future plant and to oversee the development, construction and production startup. The site chosen for the new plant was in Clarksburg, WV.

“My assignment was originally term-limited to three years, but life had other plans for me,” Martinkat says. “Today, I live in Mount Clare, WV, with my beautiful wife, Melissa, and five amazing cats.”

Expanding into the U.S. and opening the plant in West Virginia is what Martinkat considers his greatest achievement.

In 2007, after the tragic loss of his father to pancreatic cancer, Martinkat found himself leading the company.

“Within days of my father’s passing, I was thrown into leading the entire company with zero warning or preparation,” he says. “After an anxiety attack days after his funeral that landed me in a hospital, I pulled myself together and pushed forward, just like my mentors had shown me.”

Outside of work, Martinkat volunteers his time to help organizations and individuals in his community, particularly youth- and sports-related causes, which have always been important to him. Martinkat himself was involved in sports while growing up in Germany, and his coaches made a considerable impact on his life.

Martinkat has a deep-rooted passion for improving and diversifying the industrial base of the state and serves on the board of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.

He also works with West Virginia University and the Mountaineer Football organization to support the John Chambers Elite Climbers program, which allows student-athletes to travel the world to gain professional and cultural experiences aimed at improving their professional skills for life after college. Martinkat spent time traveling across Europe, the Middle East and Asia in his younger days and categorizes that time as the most adventurous and exhilarating of his life.

Additionally, Martinkat supports the fight against cancer through Relay for Life and the Bob Huggins Fish Fry as well as youth career programs like the Carl Hopkins West Virginia Youth Aviation Expo and Explore the New Manufacturing Program. He also sponsors causes that support local law enforcement.

When he’s not working or volunteering, Martinkat can be found at home on his porch with friends, smoking meat or having a cigar and a glass of bourbon while enjoying the beautiful Mountain State panorama. He remains close with his family in Germany and visits as often as he can.