FREMONT, OHIO – Several company changes were made at the annual Gordon Lumber Shareholders’ Meeting on July 9, 2015 and the subsequent Board of Directors Meeting held later the same day.
The company’s newly-elected Board of Directors will be led by Pamela Goetsch, new Chairman of the Board and a descendent of company founder Washington Gordon. Joining her on the Board (which will now comprise five members) are returning Board members Jeff Dornbusch and Mark Hablitzel, along with new Board members Jennie Gwilym and Betsy Snow.
“Our Board is committed to the company’s long term strategic plan and associated initiatives to support the continued growth and profitability of Gordon Lumber,” says Goetsch. “We are re-aligning our composition, focus and expertise to support the management team and employees to create an even more profitable operation that brings more value to shareholders.
“The changes made today align with the three principles that reflect the long-held values of Gordon Lumber and its founders: effect change for the long haul, not for the quick return on our investment; focus on doing things the right way; and, concentrate on our core businesses and rural customer base.”
According to company President Erin Leonard, the new Board will bring revitalized energy to the privately-held company as it aggressively moves forward with dedicated plans for growth in the coming years.
“So far in 2015, Gordon Lumber is highly profitable and on track for a very successful financial year,” says Leonard. “Our entire team is highly disciplined and focused on revitalizing our company. Every employee is dedicated to making changes that result in the growth of Gordon Lumber, meeting the needs of our valued customers and being sharply competitive in our industry.”
Leonard said that the company plans to refine its Ohio property holdings. Following a relocation of its component plant operations from Oak Harbor to Findlay, Gordon Lumber plans to sell its existing Oak Harbor facility. Additionally, since the company’s Fremont office space no longer supports its growth initiative, they are also selling that property and will seek out new corporate office space that better supports the company’s plans for expansion.
“These are exhilarating times for Gordon Lumber,” says Leonard. “We’re in a positive growth mode that includes enforcing tighter inventory controls, management commitment to efficient operations and making strategic new hires.”
One of the company’s newest additions is Rhonda Taylor, CPA, who has joined Gordon Lumber as the company’s Vice President of Finance and Controller. Taylor brings with her almost 20 years of accounting experience and most recently served as Controller at Fostoria Ethanol, LLC.
“Rhonda’s expertise in financial analysis, cost accounting, financial reporting and audit management will be exceptionally valuable to us as we move forward in our efforts to grow Gordon Lumber,” says Leonard.
Privately-owned Gordon Lumber operates six lumberyards and a component plant in northwest Ohio. The company was founded in 1868 and employs approximately 100 people. Annual sales for the company are roughly $40 million.
Source: Gordon Lumber