NCFI Polyurethanes, and its parent company, Barnhardt Manufacturing Co. (BMC), today
announced the Board of Directors has named Chip Holton as the company’s
president effective January 1, 2015. Holton joined NCFI as Dir. of Operations
in 2012, and brings with him an extensive, and impressive, operational
leadership background.
Extensive Experience
Holton, 50,
holds an engineering degree from The United States Military Academy at West
Point and is a former serving US Army infantry officer. His work career began
with Alcatel (now Alcatel-Lucent) fiber optics division where he served in
multiple capacities from line supervisor to plant manager in Claremont, NC.
Holton joined GE Plastics in 2003, where he served as Southeast Region
Operations Manager, overseeing logistics, distribution, and manufacturing for
up to 13 facilities.
Most
recently Holton served as Vice President of US Operations for Swiss company,
Jacob Holm Industries, one of the world’s leading nonwoven roll good
manufacturers. It was at Jacob Holm where he met the Barnhardt family.
Lewis
Barnhardt, President and COO of BMC says, “We believe Chip the ideal person to
step into this leadership role at this crucial time. He was instrumental in our
successful relationship with Jacob Holm, and we are positive he will lead the
next stage of growth and transformation for our 50-year-old polyurethane
company.”
Holton says
he was attracted to NCFI because of its 50-year history as a market leader in
polyurethane foams, and says the company’s commercial success can be attributed
to “the depth of knowledge and experience of the people within the organization.”
Covering Multiple Market Segments
The company
is involved in almost all polyurethane markets, and according to Holton, “NCFI
is the historic leader in markets like geotechnical foam, bedding, aviation
foam, SPF insulation, and aerospace. We lead the way in various applications
within these markets, however, there are areas where we must narrow our focus
to become a supplier of excellence and maximize our value to the customer.”
He adds the
company’s commitment to safety in the workplace and jobsite is evidence the
organizational leadership is committed to not only the employee, but also to
the polyurethane industry. “It’s a holistic approach. The success of our safety
program is attributed to the associates that lead this program from the ground
up. Continuous improvement will play a major role in our developing culture as
we are in relentless pursuit of process improvement for every aspect of our
operations, and within the markets in which we participate.”
Demonstrating Leadership
Holton says
his leadership style has been honed over time, but his experience in the US
Army is the foundation for leading people. Working within GE’s successful
culture and other leadership roles has provided a very process-oriented
approach to achieve a desired outcome. “There are no silver bullets. You can
have a toolbox full of lean manufacturing tools, a wide array of leadership
skills and extensive industry knowledge, but in the end you can only use them a
la carte—synthesize them—extract the elements that best fit within the current
organization, best serve the goals of the company, and best fit the markets and
customers we serve. Our resulting NCFI culture will be expressly ours.”
Holton and
Barnhardt agree one tangible outcome customers can expect in the short-run is
quicker turn-around times. “Our cultural transformation is well underway with
new people, new products, and new markets,” says Holton. “With an industry
expected to grow at six-to-seven percent through 2020, we’re retooling our
culture to think and act in a constant change environment. NCFI has a great reputation
in every market we serve for innovating products and solutions. We’re learning
to focus and shift to take advantage of new opportunities, or move away from
areas that soften. Our internal talk about people,
purpose, and passion is much more than just a slogan; they are the
three key elements to our success. Add the word predictability and those four
P’s become the foundation for our continued evolutionary leap from a local NC
company to an international powerhouse polyurethane supplier. I’m excited about
NCFI’s future, and honored to be playing a role in creating a place where
change is the new normal.”
Holton
succeeds Steve Riddle upon his retirement.
For more information contact: NCFI,
www.NCFI.com