Douglas Buckner to Retire as President and CEO of Western States; Robert Sinnard Named as Successor

Fairfield, OH, January 5, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Western States announced last Wednesday (12/30/15) that David Douglas Buckner will step down from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer effective December 31, 2015. Buckner will assist with international market development and continue as a member of the board of directors. Robert Sinnard, currently the Director of Sales and Marketing will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer as of January 1, 2016.

Buckner has been the company’s president and chief executive officer since May, 2011 and a member of its board of directors since January 2000. During his tenure, Buckner was a driving force and played a pivotal role in the construction of the new Western States’ global headquarters located in Fairfield, Ohio, which celebrated its grand opening on September 10, 2013.

"Bob is as prepared to lead this company as any chief executive in our history, His decisive leadership, his personal style, his depth of experience, and his performance as the past Director of Sales and Marketing uniquely qualify him to step into this role. He is well-respected across the industry; he inspires Western States team members, and he embodies the company's core values."

David Douglas Buckner, Outgoing President & CEO

Buckner has 45 years of business experience holding a number of key positions in large and medium size companies. Before becoming the CEO of Western States, Buckner served on the Board of Directors of Western States while heading a construction company in San Diego, California. Prior experience includes executive and management positions at U.S. based companies in several industries including aerospace manufacturing, software development, accounting, electronics manufacturing and capital goods manufacturing. Positions held include CEO, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Director of Systems Development, Director of Product Management, Manager of Information Technology and Marketing Manager. Buckner has a B.S. degree from San Diego State University.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this great company and truly honored to be a part of its present and future growth. I am very proud of our management team and all our team members for all we have accomplished together. With Western States nearing its 100 year anniversary, it’s a privilege to be a part of this firm’s rich history,” said Buckner.

The company’s board of directors unanimously elected Sinnard as President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2016. Additionally, Sinnard is a newly appointed board member. Sinnard joined Western States in January, 2012 as Director of Sales and Marketing. Sinnard’s past responsibilities include formulating global marketing and sales planning initiatives, while collaborating with all departments on a customer-oriented sales cycle, from proposal all the way through start-up. One of Sinnard’s key contributions – leading both the inside/outside salesforce, and 25 independent representatives, while increasing sales by almost 25 percent.

Prior to joining Western States, Sinnard served in multiple managerial/sales roles at The Quaker Oats Company and Anheuser Busch. With a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit, Sinnard (as President and Vice President) has led other food ingredient and manufacturing companies.

Sinnard attended Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois, and obtained a B.S. in Business Administration. Later he acquired his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Notre Dame.

"Bob is as prepared to lead this company as any chief executive in our history," said Buckner. "His decisive leadership, his personal style, his depth of experience, and his performance as the past Director of Sales and Marketing uniquely qualify him to step into this role. He is well-respected across the industry; he inspires Western States team members, and he embodies the company's core values."

“I am excited by this opportunity to lead Western States during a time of unprecedented opportunity. We will stand firm by the timeless values laid down almost 100 years ago by our founder, Eugene Roberts, and act decisively to maintain our strong competitive position while serving our customers with the same unwavering dedication,” shares Sinnard.

About Western States

Founded in 1917, Western States is the only remaining United States-based sugar centrifuge/centrifugal manufacturer (machines utilized to separate liquids from solids). Brand names include Western States, Roberts Centrifugals, and TITAN. Additionally, Western States is a distributor for Riera Nadeu, S.A. located in Barcelona, Spain.

While Western States originated to develop and manufacture improvements for centrifugals in the sugar industry, expansion occurred in 1950 to include centrifuges for non-sugar industries including the separation of fine chemicals, agricultural chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Since its humble beginnings, Western States has grown to become a global supplier for both the Sugar and Chem/Pharma industries, with more than 6,000 centrifugals installed world-wide.

Western States is located at 625 Commerce Center Drive, Fairfield, Ohio and can be reached by telephone +1 513.863.4758; by email [email protected]; or via the website at www.westernstates.com.