“I am very excited about the future of Shaw Industries and look forward to helping the new management team in any way that I can,” Shaw said.
Bell, 55, is currently Shaw’s executive vice president of operations, while Merritt, 53, is executive vice president of sales and marketing. Both have been with the company for over 30 years, and have sat on the mill’s Executive Committee since its formation following the acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway in 2001.
While there may be some concern that Shaw is losing its two top people in a six-week span, Julius Shaw Jr., executive vice president, said with Bell and Merritt at the helm Shaw Industries will still be the same company to the outside world and to its employees. “Five years ago when we were bought by Berkshire there was concern that the way we operate would change. We assured everyone this would not be the case and that’s what happened.
“We anticipate the same as the reigns move from Bob and Julian to Vance and Randy,” he explained. “They are part of the senior management team. Everyone has been with the company over 30 years and has grown up under the tutelage of both Bob and Julian.”
In addition to Bell and Merritt, the senior management team includes Ken Jackson, CFO, Spright Holland, executive vice president/logistics, who has been with the company for 43 years, and Shaw Jr. On top of that, most of the company’s other managers and leaders are longtime company veterans, many also having 30 or more years tenure.
“This is the only company we know,” Shaw Jr. added. “So there is no reason to think the culture should change. In fact, the management team has been intricately involved in the company’s day-to-day operations for several years now.”
Merritt summed it up best, when he noted, “Shaw Industries is blessed with a lot of talented people and I am just grateful to be part of the team.”
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