DILLARD, Ore. - Engineered panel manufacturer Roseburg Forest Products said its president, Grady Mulbery, will take on the added role of CEO on September 1, as Allyn Ford steps aside. Ford will remain a key part of the company in his role as chairman of Roseburg’s Board of Directors.
“This transition has been in the works for a long time, and Grady and the executive team are ready and able to take it from here,” Ford said. “It’s time for the next generation of leaders to step in.”
Ford recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with the company his father, Kenneth Ford, founded in 1936. During his 19 years as president and CEO, Allyn Ford has transformed Roseburg from a successful regional business into a dynamic and influential national enterprise that employs more than 3,000 people in six states.
Ford previously had indicated that he would retire at the end of 2016, at which point Mulbery would assume the dual role president and CEO. But the ease of transition and strength of the leadership team prompted him to advance the timeline.
“I’m very proud of the hand-off we’re making,” Ford said. “Roseburg is a strong organization, well-positioned in the industry, with a long-term strategic vision that will ensure growth and stability even as the markets inevitably cycle through good times and bad. The company is changing, the industry is changing, and the Ford family relationship to the business is changing, too.”
Mulbery is the first leader in the company’s 80-year history who isn’t a member of the Ford family. The board selected Mulbery due to his proven leadership abilities, experience with manufacturing and deep connections in the industry. Mulbery has been with Roseburg since 2011 and was vice president of manufacturing before becoming president.
“I am honored and humbled that Allyn, the Ford family and the board have entrusted this role to me, and I plan to live up to that trust,” Mulbery said. “Our core values, who we are as a company and what we do will not change. That is the legacy Allyn leaves as he retires. It’s the legacy we want to build onto as the organization moves forward and seizes opportunities for internal and external growth.”
Established in 1936, Roseburg Forest Products is a closely-held private company. With 630,000 acres of timberland in Oregon and California, the company operates facilities in Oregon, California, Montana, Louisiana and Mississippi. Roseburg manufactures lumber, softwood and hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard, thermally-fused laminates, and engineered wood products. Roseburg products are shipped throughout North America.
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