6/22/2022
Written by
MechSE alumnus Fred Massat (BSME ’89) has been hired by ISIAH International, LLC and One World Products, Inc., the largest Black-controlled, fully-licensed hemp and cannabis producer in Colombia.
Basketball legend Isiah Thomas, the CEO of ISIAH International, recently announced the additions of Massat, Larry Lyons and Edward Luibrand, three highly qualified executives with significant expertise in plastics, engineering, and design within the automotive industry.
"We are extremely excited to add Fred, Larry, and Ed to our team, each of whom brings extensive knowledge in their respective fields,” Thomas stated. “As previously reported, we have been selected by Stellantis N.V. – one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers with brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Maserati, and Peugeot – to develop and supply hemp-based bioplastic solutions for interior and exterior components.
"We believe Fred, Larry, and Ed will be tremendous resources and provide us with valuable insight as we embark on the sustainable transformation of the automotive industry by utilizing our industrial hemp feedstock to reduce its petroleum-based plastic consumption as the automobile industry endeavors to minimize their carbon footprint."
Massat retired as Engineering Manager from Stellantis in December 2021 after 33 years in the automobile industry. Prior to Stellantis, he was Engineering Manager for India Hard Trim Engineering. Mr. Massat began his career with Chrysler as part of the Chrysler Institute of Engineering development program. After Chrysler, he was with Large Car Platform Interior Engineering, where he held various positions in the design and development of Cockpits, Interior Trim and Seating. Throughout his career, Mr. Massat held various positions of increasing responsibility in various areas of automotive expertise, including Launch Management, Floor Consoles, Instrument Panels and Interior Studio Surface Feasibility. In addition to his MechSE degree, he holds an MS Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan-Dearborn (1991).
Isiah Thomas was inducted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Fame in 2000 after spending his entire career with the Detroit Pistons. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA champion, the 1990 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Today, Mr. Thomas serves as an analyst for NBA TV and is an accomplished and highly respected international business executive and investor. His portfolio of companies was developed through Isiah International, Inc., which invests in companies with strong market positions and growth potential.