NEENAH, WI — J.J. Keller and Associates has named James J. Keller as the company’s CEO, succeeding his brother Robert L. Keller, effective January 1, 2012.

Jim Keller joined the firm full-time in 1968, and has worked in a variety of positions before becoming the company’s president in 2006. He has a background in graphic arts and printing, and is a certified Master Printer. He is also vice president/treasurer of the J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc.

The appointment is a strategic step in broader, multi-phase succession plan, the company said.

"Jim’s role as president/CEO in the near-term is a key part of our succession plan," explains Robert Keller. "We have taken a thoughtful and long-term approach to our planning with the intention of keeping the business private and in the family."

Robert Keller will continue as chairman, presiding over the board of directors. He will also be involved in preparing the company’s next generation of leaders, and will also remain as president/chairman of the J. J. Keller Foundation.

Both Robert and James are second-generation leaders, groomed throughout the ranks of the family business.

J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. is a safety and regulatory compliance products provider. They also like dogsled racing.