BNET Industries
Last Fiscal Year Sales:$100.0M
- Private
- US
Dow Jones Description
Paul A. Johnston, Sr. established Johnston Industries, Inc. in 1972 when Johnston purchased conglomerate Glen Alden Corporation's textile division, which included Swift Textiles of Columbus, Georgia, and Opp and Micolas Mills of Opp, Alabama. He then sold Swift but retained one of its mills, which became Southern Phenix Textiles. In 1984 Johnston sold the company to G.I. Exports, a closely held public company headed by David Chandler. G.I. Exports subsequently changed its name to Johnston Industries. Acquisitions followed including the purchase of Wellington Sears, which doubled the number of employees and the formation of Tech Textiles, later renamed Composite Reinforcements, which further diversified its manufacturing. In 1994, Johnston Industries moved its headquarters from New York to Columbus, Georgia. In 2000, CGW Southeast Partners IV LLP, an Atlanta investment firm, purchased Johnston Industries taking it off the New York Stock Exchange and making it a privately held company. On December 5, 2003, Meriturn Partners purchased the fabric business of Johnston Industries and formed a new company, Johnston Textiles, Inc. JTI is focused on speciality fabrics in the Decorative, Industrial, and Napery segments of the textile industry. Head quartered in Valley Alabama, JTI operates facilities in Opp, Valley and Phenix City Alabama. Johnston's high-caliber workforce is committed to success through customer satisfaction.
President and CEO
Tommy CooperNumber of Employees 850
Peer Companies
NAICS Code Broadwoven Fabric Mills: 313210
Decision Makers
| Name (plus bio) | Position |
|---|---|
| Tommy Cooper | President and CEO |
| Grover Elliott | Executive Vice President and Cfo |
| Jim Herrel | Executive Vice President of Sales and Materials Management |
| Steve Adair | Executive Vice President of Market Development |
| David Wilkerson | Vice President, HR |
Board of Directors
| Name (plus bio) | Position |
|---|---|
| Mark W. Kehaya | Chairman |
Mr. Cooper was appointed President and CEO of the company on August 23, 2005. A native of North Carolina, Mr. Cooper joined the company in 2000 as Plant Manager at Opp and Micolas Mills. He was promoted to VP of Manufacturing - Opp and Micolas Mills in 2002. In 2004, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, responsible for operations at the company's three locations. Prior to joining Johnston, Mr. Cooper was a Division Manager with Dan River, Plant Manager with Galey & Lord, and held various positions with Burlington Industries. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Western Carolina University.
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | President and CEO | Current |
| Opp | Plant Manager | Current |
| Opp | Vice President of Manufacturing | Former |
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Vice President, Manufacturing | Former |
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Plant Manager | Former |
| Lord Corporation | Plant Manager | Former |
| Dan River, Inc. | Division Manager | Former |
| Western Carolina University | B.S. in Business Administration | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Executive Vice President and Cfo | Current |
| Dan River, Inc. | Current | |
| Furman University | MBA | Former |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | B.S. In Accounting | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Executive Vice President of Sales and Materials Management | Current |
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Director of Corporate | Current |
| Arrow Shirt Co. | Senior Vice President of Sourcing and Production | Former |
| Tropical Sportswear International | Vice President of Corporate Sourcing | Former |
| University of Toledo | B.S. Degree | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Executive Vice President of Market Development | Current |
| Auburn University | B.S. Degree In Textiles Management | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Vice President, HR | Current |
| Phr | Former | |
| Troy State University | B.S. | Former |
Prior to co-founding Meriturn Partners in 2001, Mr. Kehaya spent 14 years in general management and finance positions, and most recently was President and CEO of Eturn Communications, Inc. (now Xpherix). At Eturn, Mr. Kehaya was brought in by the Board of Directors to develop and implement a turnaround plan. The plan included refocusing the business from an Internet based company to a communications software provider, reducing the cash burn, creating a new software platform, and refocusing the business development efforts. When the plan was secure he turned the business over to a seasoned industry professional. Prior to joining Eturn, Mr. Kehaya worked for Standard Commercial Corporation (NYSE: STW) in a variety of different roles. As CEO of CRES Neva and CRES Trading from 1998-2000, Mr. Kehaya developed, built, and operated a processing plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. As CFO of the tobacco division, Mr. Kehaya was a senior member of the management team that turned around this division from record losses to record profits in four years. In this role, Mr. Kehaya participated in the $360 million restructuring of the division's balance sheet, implemented new risk management procedures, cut expenses, improved asset turns and financial controls, and negotiated certain key strategic acquisitions. As Director of Strategic Planning for the holding company, Mr. Kehaya developed the corporation's first strategic plan and oversaw the implementation of the global budgeting system. Prior to joining STW, Mr. Kehaya worked for Fieldstone Private Capital Group and Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank) in their project finance and restructuring groups. Currently, Mr. Kehaya is a member of the Board of Directors of Standard Commercial Corporation (NYSE: STW). Mr. Kehaya earned an MA degree in Economics from Cambridge University in England and attended the Fuqua School at Duke University.
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Meriturn Partners, LLC | Founder | Current |
| Meriturn Partners, LLC | Partner | Current |
| Alliance One International, Inc. | Director, Committees: Finance (Chair) | Current |
| Dunn Paper | Chairman | Current |
| Johnston Textiles, Inc. | Chairman | Current |
| Alliance One International, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| Standard Corporation | Vice President, Planning, and as Chief Executive Officer | Former |
| Fieldstone Private Capital Group | Former | |
| Deutsche Bank AG | Former | |
| Cambridge University | MA Degree In Economics | Former |
| Fuqua School | Former |
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