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Mike Wandler has spent the past three decades in the heavy industrial world, learning machining, welding, and repair from the ground up. He’s faced everything from global supply-chain collapses to geopolitical shifts, to failing energy systems and price pressures that can crush even the greatest companies.
Despite this, Mike has discovered the key to a strong business: surrounding himself with great people who can innovate in a constantly changing environment. Now, as the President of L&H Industrial and CEO of Evercore Energy, Wandler is forging the way for microreactor-based and digitally optimized power industry solutions for heavy industry.
Familial roots in business
Leon Wandler, Mike’s father, founded L&H Industrial in 1964. At just fourteen, straight of our junior high, Mike Wandler entered the business, running machines, repairing equipment, and learning side-by-side with some of the greatest craftsmen in the area.
These humble beginnings laid the foundations for Wandler’s introduction to the potential for nuclear energy. The idea of energy innovation came from his father-in-law, Jerri Schloredt, known for operating the original nuclear microreactors in Antarctica and the Panama Canal.
These familial roots would give rise to Wandler’s true purpose, which he says is to innovate in the energy sector. For mining, heavy industrial, and remote customers, the most powerful solutions available today are nuclear microreactors.
“I realized that L&H’s world-class engineering, manufacturing talent, and 61 years of solving impossible mechanical problems positioned us perfectly to innovate energy,” Wandler shares.
Experiencing challenges firsthand
While he grew up in a world of opportunity, Wandler is well aware of the challenges the industry faces in energy advancements. He experienced some of these firsthand when rolling blackouts hit a machine shop he owned in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Overnight, reliable production became impossible, profitability evaporated, and I saw exactly what happens when a country loses control of its energy system,” Wandler says. “That experience shaped my belief that reliable power is the foundation of any strong economy.”
Mike doesn’t see heavy industrial manufacturing as a collection of machines but as an ecosystem of people with their own economy. As advances in technology make nuclear microreactors smaller, portable, and easier to assemble, Wandler sees technology entering that ecosystem to get the job done.
“At the core of everything I do is my commitment to my tribes, [which include] our employees and their families, our customers, and our trusted vendors,” Wandler says. “We love our people, and we love the work, because we are absolutely clear on our mission, vision, and values.”
Aspirations for the future
Moving forward, Wandler envisions Evercore Energy leading the Owner-Operating Company model for distributed industrial power. The plan involves deploying nuclear microreactors across mining, mineral processing, manufacturing, and remote operations. As the Founder of Wyoming’s Innovative Entrepreneurs, Wandler promotes statewide economic growth by helping entrepreneurs think bigger, access better resources, and build strong companies.
Beyond his business successes, Wandler’s deepest purpose is grounded in love, freedom, and flow. “Where others think in quarters or exits, we think in decades and legacy,” he adds.
Wandler’s new book, Innovate Energy: The Microreactor Revolution—Truth, Grit, and the Future of American Power, tells the story of how microreactors can restore resilience, security, and prosperity within the energy sector. Drawing on his family’s legacy, lessons from heavy industry, and insights from mentors and leaders in the field, Mike issues a call to action for those who believe America’s best days still lie ahead.
