By: Will Jones
The world doesn’t just need “clean energy”; it needs power abundance, reliability, and energy independence. Innovate Energy is a call to action. It’s time for America’s heavy industries to consider embracing microreactors, intelligent systems, and resilient supply chains that may help secure our future.
Microreactors are positioned to be a potential frontier for clean, abundant, and reliable, factory-level energy, and Mike Wandler is among the few industrial leaders with both 40 years of mechanical experience and a modern, tech-forward energy philosophy. Mike and his company are working towards advancing this future.
The Inspiration Behind the Innovation
Mike grew up inside the heavy industrial world, learning machining, welding, and repair from the ground up. L&H Industrial, a global leader in designing, manufacturing, and maintaining the world’s biggest machines, was founded by his father, Leon Wandler, in 1964. In 1982, Mike began working there at age fourteen, running machines, repairing equipment, and learning side-by-side with incredible craftsmen. As he described, “From the beginning, I fell in love with fixing and innovating the biggest machines on earth. That passion has remained strong and has grown over the years.”
Over the next three decades, Mike worked his way up through every layer of his father’s company. Mike’s entire career has centered on solving complex mechanical problems and building resilient systems that keep industry moving. Today, he serves as President of L&H Industrial and CEO of Evercore Energy, where he and his team are leading efforts to explore microreactor-based, digitally optimized power solutions for heavy industry.
The Role of Energy Efficiency
Raised in the L&H Industrial space, energy innovation wasn’t necessarily at the forefront of Mike’s mind until his father-in-law, Jerry Schloredt, introduced him to the idea. Jerry operated the original nuclear microreactors in Antarctica and the Panama Canal. “He told me firsthand how reliable, safe, and transformative those early microreactors were,” Mike recalled. Later, Peter Diamandis and the Abundance 360 community helped open his eyes even further to the energy shortages facing the United States and the world.
As he became more aware of the problems and potential, Mike realized L&H’s world-class engineering and manufacturing talent and 61 years of solving seemingly impossible mechanical problems positioned the team well to become leaders in energy innovation. As Mike surmised, “A few years ago, I made a clear decision: my life’s purpose is to innovate energy. And for mining, heavy industrial, and remote customers, the most powerful and reliable innovation available today is nuclear microreactors. That purpose is now the driving force behind Evercore Energy and my work in this industry.”
Teamwork Through it All
Mike’s journey has never been a solo effort. His wife, Jerri Wandler, has been his unwavering partner; his anchor, his inspiration, and the person who has made every breakthrough in his life possible. Her love, strength, and devotion are woven into every chapter of his story. Together, they have raised seven children and celebrate the joy of fourteen grandchildren, each one a reminder of what legacy truly means.
Moving forward, Mike sees Evercore Energy taking a leading role in the Owner-Operating Company model for distributed industrial power, deploying nuclear microreactors across mining, mineral processing, manufacturing, and remote operations. Yet beyond all business achievements, machinery, or energy innovation, Mike’s deepest purpose is rooted in love, freedom, and flow. “I don’t see heavy industry as a collection of machines; I see it as an ecosystem of people, technology, energy, and long-term stewardship,” he said.
For those ready to explore how microreactors could restore American energy resilience and prosperity, Mike Wandler shares his complete vision in Innovate Energy: The Microreactor Revolution—Truth, Grit, and the Future of American Power. This book is a call to action for builders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who believe America’s best days are still ahead.
