Castleton, Vt.-based domestic lighting manufacturer Hubbardton Forge has made several key appointments in 2020, the most recent of which is promoting industry veteran Maria Mullen – who was named President & COO in June – to CEO, a role previously held by Bubba Sandford who successfully completed his mission of navigating the company’s re-opening during the pandemic. Mullen will assume her new role on January 1.
As a manufacturer that makes each fixture to order, having a mandatory five-week closure in spring following government orders could have been a devastating hardship. However, with Sandford’s guidance, Hubbardton Forge was able to return to staffing one shift, and then two, in order to ship orders quicker than anticipated through the backlog.
“I am honored and excited to have been selected to lead this wonderful company. We have a great and talented team, a terrific culture, and a desire to innovate and lead in design and technology,” says Mullen about her promotion to CEO. “We are writing the next chapter in this classic American story and I look forward to leading the team to new heights.”
Last month, Hubbardton Forge announced the addition of industry veteran Andrew Knapp joining the team as VP/Sales in charge of overseeing Commercial, Trade, and Residential Showroom sales.
This month, the factory kicks off December with the promotion of 18-year Hubbardton Forge veteran Steve Wiegers to the manufacturing leadership position of VP/Operations effective immediately. Wiegers has held a variety of managerial roles over his tenure, including Acting Director of Operations and Supply Chain Manager.
“Steve is extremely talented and, moreover, committed to Hubbardton Forge. He is exactly the type of manager any company would be lucky to have,” Mullen remarks. “His hard work in managing the shutdown and reopening was exceptional, and his ability to improve operations during this challenging year helped us come out of this period stronger than before. I look forward to working with Steve in his new position to continue to improve and grow our company.”
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