July 13, 2023 11:10 a.m.
In the KQEN Business Spotlight:
Roseburg Forest Products has announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Grady Mulbery will retire effective September 30th.
As part of a planned leadership succession, the company’s board of directors unanimously elected Chief Operating Officer Stuart Gray to succeed Mulbery as president and CEO, effective October 1st.
Mulbery will remain on Roseburg’s board of directors through the end of 2023 and serve as executive advisor through 2024.
Mulbery said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Roseburg and I look forward to life’s next chapters”. Mulbery said, “I am very grateful for the many opportunities and experiences I’ve had here. I am extremely proud of our leadership team and our team members and their unwavering commitment to safety, each other and our customers”.
A company release said during twelve years with the company, Mulbery held increasingly senior roles, first as vice president of composites, then as vice president of operations and since 2016, as president and CEO. During his time as CEO, Mulbery presided over a period of exceptional growth for Roseburg. That included expansion of the company’s timberland holdings into the southeastern United States and addition of manufacturing operations on the east coast and into Canada. Mulbery led the company’s entry into medium density fiberboard manufacturing, and oversaw the construction of new engineered wood product and lumber manufacturing facilities in North and South Carolina.
Roseburg’s owner and chairman of the board Allyn Ford said, “During Grady;s tenure, Roseburg has grown considerably and established a stronger and more diversified portfolio in the timber and wood products industry”. Ford said, “His deep industry experience and focused leadership during this time as CEO have earned him the utmost respect of Roseburg’s team members, customers, board of directors, and owners, as well as key constituents throughout the wood products industry”.
Ford said, “With the company well positioned for continued success, we believe now is the time to begin the transition to the next generation of leadership. At the conclusion of a multi-year development and succession process, we are confident in Stuart’s leadership, commitment to our culture and team members and demonstrated ability to drive continued growth”.
The release said Gray joined Roseburg in 2017 as senior vice president and general counsel, overseeing the company’s strategic development, legal compliance and environmental teams. In January 2022, Gray was appointed chief operating officer and assumed responsibility for the company’s manufacturing business.