J. Michael O’Brien has been named president & CEO of AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company following the retirement of Van L. Richey, who served with the company 47 years. O’Brien is the 11th president in ACIPCO’s 118-year history.

O’Brien joined ACIPCO in 1975 as a research engineer in the Research Department. In 1981, he was named a sales engineer in International Sales and in 1983, promoted to manager. He served as sales manager of the American-Darling Valve Division from 1985 to 1988, when he was appointed sales manager of AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe. He was named vice president of Sales and secretary in 1989, and then earlier this year, executive vice president.

O’Brien, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, graduated from Ensley High School before attending the University of Alabama (UA), where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.

He is past national chair and served on the board of directors of the Capstone Engineering Society. He was a founding member and past chair of the UA College of Engineering Leadership Board and served on the board of directors of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a UA Distinguished Engineering Fellow in 1999. O’Brien is a founding member of the H2O (Help 2 Others) Foundation, which assists low-income elderly and disabled Birmingham Water Works customers with paying their water and sewer bill, and with plumbing repairs.

Mike and his wife, Donna, reside in Birmingham.

Founded in Birmingham in 1905, ACIPCO is a manufacturer of fire hydrants, valves, ductile iron pipe and spiral-welded steel pipe for the waterworks industry and steel pipe for the energy and carbon capture industries. The company’s diversified product line also includes fire pumps, structural casing and piling, castings for large machinery and specialty rubber products.