Category: News

 

On June 26, 2025, FCX Systems hosted a luncheon to honor milestone years of service of two dedicated and talented employees – Rob Clark (30 years) and Marshall Shroyer (25 years).

Rob came to FCX on June 5, 1995, and began his employment as a Production Assembler. From that position, he rose in the ranks to Production Team Leader to Production Manager and to his current position of Director of Production. In this position, he leads the day-to-day production efforts of the company and maintains the project status of all jobs throughout the year. He works closely with our metal fabrication division, quality assurance, testing, inventory and purchasing. These words have often been used to describe Rob and his work ethic – efficient, detail oriented, conscientious, dependable and dedicated, to name a few.

Marshall arrived for work at FCX on June 26, 2000, and started in the role of R&D Engineer, which currently is Development Engineer. His primary focus over the years has been on the development and maintenance of software and related circuit boards as well as new product design. Marshall was a key team member in the development of the 270VDC units that were supplied to the U.S. Navy for multiple installations on every aircraft carrier in the fleet. In terms of our Company’s core values, he has been exceptional in delivering excellence, maintaining extreme integrity and high problem-solving skills. One of his recent successes has been the development of a highly reliable and market competitive commercial 90KVA unit.

Christine Murphy, FCX’s President, said this about these two long-time employees, “FCX’s successes over the years and our national and international reputations for the highest quality and dependability of our units can be attributed to such loyal and dedicated employees such as Rob and Marshall. Both of these gentlemen represent what FCX Systems is all about and we greatly appreciate their work over the years and look for many more to come.”

On April 27th, Keith Whiteman’s 35th anniversary with FCX was recognized and celebrated.

Keith was hired as the first employee at FCX while working with the organization’s five co-founders. He started as a CAD System Manager and has served in several positions at FCX.

More specifically, Keith has successfully taken on the former roles of IT System Administrator, Project Engineer, Research & Development Engineer, and Testing Manager. He is currently the Programming Manager.

We congratulate and thank Keith for being an essential part of FCX as he consistently works hard, serving as a versatile team player.


Pictured left to right: Christine Murphy (President), Keith Whiteman (Programming Manager), Craig Walker (Chief Executive Officer)

Christine Murphy has been named president of FCX Systems where she has worked for twelve years. She joined the company in 2010 as a controller, was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in November 2014 and named Chief Operating Officer in 2021. She is the third president of FCX Systems and the first woman to be named president of the firm.

“Having worked with Christine for nearly 25 years, I have seen firsthand her acceptance of every new challenge with enthusiasm and a driven desire to learn and expand her knowledge and experience,” said Craig Walker, Chief Executive Officer for FCX Systems, Inc. “She is both a wise and well-suited choice to continue and grow the legacy of FCX Systems as its President.”

Murphy is a graduate of Fairmont State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Upon graduation, she joined the West Virginia University Foundation as an account assistant. While with the Foundation, she continuously excelled in the organization, rising to the level of assistant controller. “I am honored and excited for this opportunity to continue the legacy of FCX Systems. We have a great company with dedicated and loyal employees. I am looking forward to the challenge and taking this company to the next level,” said Murphy.

She will succeed Craig Walker, who will continue in his role as Chief Executive Officer at FCX Systems. “I would like to join everyone in congratulating Christine, along with Craig, and the staff at FCX as we work through this transition,” said Mark Nesselroad, Board of Directors Member at FCX Systems, Inc. “The team at FCX is very important in the overall success of the company, and I look forward to Christine’s increased leadership role moving forward into the future.”

Founded in 1987, FCX designs and manufactures solid-state frequency converters and ground power support for aviation, commercial, military, and shore industries around the world. At FCX’s headquarters in Morgantown, W.Va., the design, manufacturing, and testing of every piece of equipment are all performed in-house under strict quality control standards for maximum reliability and performance.

Today, FCX employs 70 personnel and has placed units throughout the U.S. and in more than 80 countries on all seven continents.

FCX is happy to announce that Mari Johnson has been elevated to Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Mari will oversee Accounting, Purchasing, and Inventory and will report directly to Chief Operating Officer, Christine Murphy.

In the year that Mari has been with FCX, she has earned this opportunity and there is no doubt that she will be successful in this new role.

Congratulations, Mari and thank you for all your efforts in making FCX successful.

On October 29, 2021, FCX Systems shipped twenty (20) 270 VDC ground power units from our facility to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands in support of the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s deployment of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet program.

As a partner country with the United States, the Netherlands now include the F-35 in their country’s air arsenal.

Previously, FCX Systems shipped twenty-two (22) 270 VDC ground power units to the Netherland’s Leeuwarden Air Base near the North Sea to aid their initial F-35 operations.

To date, FCX Systems has provided the design, manufacture, and delivery of 270 VDC units for the F-35 program to the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Italy to support our military allies across the world, in addition to units installed at United States military bases.

Craig Walker (left), FCX President and CEO, presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Jeff Key (right).

Jeff Key recently marked 30 years of service with FCX Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of frequency converters based in Morgantown.

The company held a luncheon in honor of Key’s milestone on July 22. In recognition of his dedicated service to FCX and its customers, Key received a certificate and gift of appreciation.

Key began employment with FCX on July 22, 1991, following eight years with the United States Coast Guard. His experience at FCX landed him a hands-on role, manufacturing power converters in the Production department and eventually in positions within FCX’s Testing and QC departments.

Key’s direct knowledge of FCX Systems’ products lead him to his current position: sourcing quality components in the company’s Purchasing department.

“Jeff is an indispensable part of our FCX team,” says Craig Walker, FCX President and CEO. “His experience is invaluable toward fulfilling our mission of providing the best power conversion equipment available to our customers.”

Key lives in Bobtown, Pa.

The ownership and management of FCX Systems, Inc. are saddened to announce the death on Tuesday, June 15, of Mathew T. Howell, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing for FCX Systems, Inc., the manufacturing company he co-founded in 1987.

“On behalf of FCX, I would like to express our appreciation for the immeasurable contributions Matt has made to our company, the community, and countless employees that have worked with him,” commented Craig Walker, President and CEO.

“In his 34 years at FCX, Matt helped build a firm that leads the world in solid-state frequency converter manufacturing and provides jobs to more than 65 people. He was a man of honor and integrity, and his FCX family will miss him greatly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Matt’s wife, daughter, and family and his many friends.”

Allen Wright, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, shared fond memories of his business partner and friend.

“Matt was a fresh college graduate when I met him some 48 years ago. Always a detail-oriented good engineer. We and three others formed FCX Systems 34 years ago to design a better frequency converter product and solve problems faced by customers in the aviation industry,” said Wright.

“Matt was always a bulldog in maintaining the best quality and value of the product. He was always mindful of conserving the environmental impact of our products. As a friend and leader in aviation ground power design, he will be missed.”

“Thank you, Matt.”

Matt’s passion will live on through the company he helped build from the ground up. FCX management is committed to growing his legacy and moving the company forward in his memory.

Recognized as the greatest pilot of all time, West Virginia’s own Chuck Yeager passed away earlier this week at the age of 97. He was best known for having been the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947 in the Bell X-1 rocket plane flying over Edwards Air Force Base. However, he also was a heavily decorated pilot during WWII having shot down 5 German planes in a single day. Combined with his leadership during the Viet Nam War, Yeager flew over 127 combat missions. In 1985, President Reagan recognized Yeager as an outstanding American patriot by awarding him the well-deserved Medal of Freedom. Born in the small southern town of Myra, WV, he never backed down from a challenge and excelled in the skies.

His own words best described him – 

“You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done.”

“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”

“If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.”

God bless Charles “Chuck” Yeager – a true hero in every sense of the word.

As we celebrate the 244th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, we continue to have much to appreciate and to be proud of – the sheer beauty of our country, our cultural diversity, freedom of speech and religion, our farmers who produce the most food in the world, our generosity, our entrepreneurial spirit and our constant guard for democracy.

This year, COVID-19 has threatened our very hearts and souls – businesses closed, churches closed, families and friends forced apart, and we lost far too many of our fellow Americans. For this to pass, we need to remain diligent and fight – as is the history of America – to return to a normalcy that we have long enjoyed.

Enjoy this 4th of July and celebrate responsibly.

Mike Tennant

The July Employee of the month has continually done an outstanding job for FCX, particularly, over the past several months.

In his primary role, he is solely responsible for arranging the most economic and efficient manner for our equipment to be shipped to the customer’s project site. The Australia order was especially challenging considering multiple shipments across the ocean and the need to time those deliveries to fit the customer’s overall project schedule.

Additionally, this individual is willing to step up to help the company in any way he can. That could include jumping back into production at busy times, volunteering to come to our facility during off hours to help with an incoming shipment delivery or to let the roof repair company in on the weekend or running up to Sam’s to get supplies for an event.

In short, if you ask him to help out with a task, he very willingly says YES.

Congratulations to Mike Tennant – the July Employee of the Month.

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