Mike Otterman

President and CEO Lodge Cast Iron

Last Reviewed: September 28, 2026

Executive Summary

Mike Otterman is president and CEO of Lodge Cast Iron, the cast iron cookware maker that has operated in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, since 1896. He joined the company in 2016 from outside the family, ran sales and marketing and then operations, and in February 2019 became the first chief executive in the company’s history drawn from outside the founding Lodge and Kellermann families. The company remains owned by the founder’s descendants, so his role is that of a professional manager running a family-held manufacturer rather than an owner-operator.

Career Highlights

• Named CEO and president of Lodge Manufacturing in February 2019, succeeding Henry Lodge, who remained chairman of the board.
• First leader from outside the Lodge and Kellermann families in the company’s then 123-year history.
• Joined Lodge in June 2016 as senior vice president of sales and marketing and became president and COO in late 2017.
• Described at his appointment as bringing more than 20 years of housewares experience together with outdoor-industry expertise.
• Serves on the board of the Cookware & Bakeware Alliance.

Professional Journey

Otterman came to Lodge with a career in the housewares and outdoor industries; the company’s 2019 announcement credited him with more than 20 years in the housewares market and expertise in outdoor products, which together gave “comprehensive insight into management and targeted product development”.

He joined Lodge in June 2016 as senior vice president of sales and marketing. The company was then preparing its largest expansion in decades: a second foundry in South Pittsburg, a 127,000 square foot plant nicknamed the 3rd Street Foundry, began operating toward the end of 2017 and, by Lodge’s own account, raised its manufacturing capacity by 75%. Otterman was promoted to president and chief operating officer in late 2017, as that plant came online.

In February 2019 he was promoted to CEO and president, succeeding Henry Lodge, who had been chief executive for three years of a 47-year career with the company and stayed on as chairman. Local press noted the significance of the appointment: for the first time in its history, Lodge was led by someone outside the founding families.

Under his leadership Lodge has broadened its range. Trade press in 2023 highlighted a USA Enamel line, described as the first U.S.-made colored enamel cast iron, a Yellowstone-branded product line, and a move into food with cornbread mixes and sear blends made in partnership with Old World Spice. He has described the company’s approach as following the direction set by the family, telling J.P. Morgan that “the predecessors from the family that I followed left a lot of breadcrumbs to where they wanted this business to go.” He also sits on the board of the Cookware & Bakeware Alliance, the industry association.

Education

No education record was found in the sources reviewed.