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.”

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/grady-mulbery-ass-presidentceo-role?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news