Succession Plan in Action for Commercial Door and Hardware Leader
Winston-Salem, NC (October 19, 2017) –The Cook & Boardman Group (“Cook & Boardman” or the “Company”) today announced that Darrin Anderson joined the Company as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Anderson succeeds long-time CEO Chuck Hummel. Mr. Hummel has been named as Chairman of The Cook & Boardman Group and continues to be involved with key supplier relationships and strategic activity at the Company.
Cook & Boardman is a leading specialty distributor of commercial metal and wood doors, door frames, door hardware, and related products, including access control devices and specialty products. The Company serves the non-residential market, including the education, municipal, healthcare, commercial, office, multi-family, and hospitality sectors. Cook & Boardman is headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and operates thirty locations and sales offices across twelve states. Ridgemont Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm, is the financial sponsor and majority owner of Cook & Boardman.
Darrin Anderson has held several leadership positions at industrial companies across his nearly thirty-year career, including as Chief Operating Officer of Crescent Electrical Supply Company, Regional and Operational Vice President at HD Supply, General Manager at SIRVA, President at Alliant Foodservice and various Management positions at Kraft Foods. Mr. Anderson is a graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and served as a Scout Platoon Leader in Operation Desert Storm and as First Lieutenant at Fort Hood. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School.
“Darrin Anderson is a great fit for Cook & Boardman from a cultural and business standpoint and we are very pleased that he has joined the Company as its CEO,” said Rob Edwards, Partner at Ridgemont Equity Partners. “We collaborated with Chuck Hummel to develop a plan for a successful leadership transition at Cook & Boardman since our initial partnership in 2014. Together, Darrin, CFO David Eisner and Ridgemont will ensure that Cook & Boardman continues to be a value-added partner for both its customers and suppliers as the Company grows in its current markets and expands into new geographies over time.”
Chuck Hummel added, “I have had the privilege to serve as Cook & Boardman’s CEO since 2008 and it has been a great honor. The Company and its employees are well-positioned to continue to thrive as we provide high quality products and services to our customers and serve as a critical partner to our suppliers. I am thrilled that Darrin Anderson has joined Cook & Boardman as CEO to lead the Company in its next phase of growth, and I look forward to continuing to help build the Company in my new role as Chairman.”