John A. Mellowes announced he will step down from his day-to-day duties as the chairman and chief executive officer of Mequon-based Charter Manufacturing in July, when he will turn the reins of the company to his sons, John W. Mellowes and Charles A. Mellowes.
Charter Manufacturing is a privately held provider of steel and steel components. John W. Mellowes, currently vice president and general manager of the company's Charter Steel division, will become CEO of Charter Manufacturing.
Charles A. Mellowes will become Charter Manufacturing's board chairman and maintain his responsibilities as the company's vice president of strategic planning and business development.
John A. Mellowes, who followed his father, Charles N. Mellowes, into the company and is the grandson of Charter founder Alfred Mellowes, will remain on Charter Manufacturing's board as chairman emeritus.
Tom Glaister will continue as the company's president and chief operating officer.
"The time is right to move to the next generation of family leadership at Charter Manufacturing, and this sibling partnership positions us to be a stronger, better company with a solid record of accomplishment and an unwavering will to grow," said John A. Mellowes, who has served as CEO for the past 30 years. "This is a significant milestone for our family-owned company, and I am confident that the fourth generation of Mellowes leadership will be Charter's best. I also could not be more proud of both of them."
John W. Mellowes said the family and Charter have planned this transition for a long time and intend to make it as seamless as possible.
"The heritage of our family-owned company is built on the principles of forward thinking, leadership and respect for people," John W. Mellowes said. "My brother and I share a strong commitment to continuing Charter's culture, solid values and high standards. To that end, nothing will change."
The succession announcement comes on the heels of Charter Manufacturing's December 2012 acquisition of Dura-Bar and Dura-Bar Metal Services. As a result of the purchase, Charter added a fourth division focusing on specialty iron bar to its family of companies, which also includes Charter Steel, Charter Wire and Charter Automotive.
"My brother and I are honored to have this opportunity to continue to grow and guide the Charter family of companies," said Charles A. Mellowes. "As we take on roles once held by our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we feel a strong sense of responsibility, of history and of accountability to our customers, employees and everyone who works with Charter. We believe that Charter is well-positioned for the decades ahead."
Charter Manufacturing, with annual sales of approximately $1.2 billion, operates 10 plants and has nearly 2,000 employees world-wide.
