Scott Barbour, who last led Emerson Electric's $4.5 billion global network power business, will succeed Joe Chlapaty as president and CEO of Hilliard, Ohio-based Advanced Drainage Systems, effective Sept. 1.
Chlapaty, 71, who has held the posts since 2004, will become chairman emeritus, while C. Robert Kidder, who is the current lead independent director, will be chairman.
Kidder said the management changes announced on Aug. 17 come "at the right time" and coincide with the evolution of ADS, which saw sales of $1.3 billion for its thermoplastic corrugated pipe and other water management products in its 2017 fiscal year. ADS is the third-largest pipe, profile and tubing extruder in North America, according to the latest Plastics News ranking.
"Over the years, ADS has proven its ability to thrive on change and we are excited to have Scott lead the team and our company forward," Kidder said in a news release. "Scott is a well-rounded executive whose leadership style and skill set aligns well with ADS' culture and its objectives to drive growth and operational excellence."
Founded in 1966, ADS started out making plastic drainage tiles for farm fields and then developed a way to manufacture dual-wall high density polyethylene pipe with a corrugated exterior and smooth interior for storm water management. This year ADS is out with a triple-wall composite pipe for storm and sanitary sewers made of corrugated polypropylene with a ribbed core and fiberglass exterior.
Barbour said in the news release that he is excited to join the ADS team and build on the company's legacy in water management.
"ADS is a great business with outstanding prospects for the future," Barbour said. "I look forward to building upon the company's industry leadership, commitment to innovation and recent initiatives that drive operating performance improvements by leveraging its talented team and strong financial position."
Chlapaty, who started out as the chief financial officer for ADS in 1980, gets credit for seeing the company through its growth into new markets, according to Kidder.
"Under his leadership, ADS has grown from a private organization with $50 million in sales to an industry leader, with an exceptionally strong brand and more than $1.2 billion in sales across multiple end markets and geographies," Kidder said. "Over the past 37 years, Joe's passion for the business and his leadership helped position ADS at the forefront of the markets we serve today."
Barbour has more than 25 years of experience in industrial sectors. Before he was in charge of Emerson's network power business, which was spun off and is now called Vertiv, Barbour managed multi-million dollar contract negotiations and oversaw a global program to optimize profits in addition to introducing new product lines and expanding the company's geographic reach.
Barbour started out as a product engineer at Colt Industries. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University and a master of business administration degree from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.
