L. William Zahner

Who is L. William Zahner?

L. William Zahner III is the president and CEO of Zahner, an architectural metal company in Kansas City, Missouri. His company is responsible for the production of high-profile buildings by architects such as Frank Gehry, Morphosis, and Herzog & de Meuron. In 1989, he became company president, and is credited with transforming the company from a regional sheet-metal contractor into a national architectural metals and facades producer. He also guided the company towards producing works by artists as well as architects. Zahner has authored two books on architectural metals, titled Architectural Metal Surfaces and Architectural Metals: A Guide to Selection, Specification, and Performance.

In 2013, Zahner was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Manufacturing Council, where he represents Missouri’s Fifth District. Zahner was inducted as an honorary AIA member in 2007. Zahner holds five patents which pertain to the Architectural Metals industry, he serves as the Industry Liaison for the National Architectural Committee of SMACNA, and in 2006, was awarded the Copper Medal, Associazone Italiana di Metallurgia.