Ronald R. Ross
President & Chief Executive Officer
Ronald Ross has built an impressive leadership track record and reputation in the building products industry. Over a period of 33 years Mr. Ross has acquired in depth expertise in all aspects of the building products industry including manufacturing, supply chain management, operations, sales, marketing, accounting and finance. He has particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions, managing a public company and in turnaround and startup operations. For the last 18 years he has functioned at the CEO/Chairman/Board level.
Since May of 2005, Mr. Ross has been working with AEA to implement a buy and build strategy in the roofing and siding distribution business. On February 29, 2008 AEA and Mr. Ross completed the first acquisition; SRS Acquisition Corporation dba Suncoast Roofers Supply.
On July 31, 2002, Mr. Ross purchased Shelter Distribution, Inc., in conjunction with Brazos Private Equity partners, and was appointed President and CEO of the company. From July, 2002 to October, 2005, under Mr. Ross' direction, the Company completed four acquisitions. The Company was sold in October, 2005, to Beacon (NYSE; BCN). Under Mr. Ross' leadership, the Company made four acquisitions, increased sales from $170 to $342 million, EBITDA from $8.8 million to $20.2 million and locations from 21 to 53. Shelter was sold to Beacon for approximately 8.5 x EBITDA realizing investors an IRR of 0ver 30%.
From October 2000 - April 2001, Mr. Ross served as interim CEO for MMI Products, Inc. of Houston, Texas, a leading manufacturer and distributor of building products. MMI has revenues of $530 million through 23 manufacturing plants and 55 distribution centers with 2700 employees.
From 1991 to 2000, Mr. Ross served first as President and CEO, and from 1994 as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Cameron Ashley Building Products, a $1.2 billion public (NYSE; CAB) building products distributor. Under the leadership of Mr. Ross the organization grew from a regional Texas distributor with 9 locations and $73 million in revenue to a $1.2 billion Company, one of the largest in the industry, with 165 locations and 2600 employees throughout the United States and Canada. During this period the company reported nine consecutive years of record profits while completing 44 acquisitions and moving from a private to a publicly held company. Initial Cameron Ashley investors realized a 78% IRR over the nine year holding period.
Mr. Ross was in fact the driving force in the creation of Cameron Ashley Building Products. From 1987 to 1991 he headed Cameron Wholesale, a division of CertainTeed Corporation. He was Vice President of Operations and subsequently Vice President and General Manager of this building products manufacturer and distributor. During this period, Mr. Ross led a major financial turnaround, positioned the company for sale and led a management buy-out group, which purchased the company with investors in December 1991.
Prior to his employment with Cameron Wholesale, Mr. Ross was employed in various managerial, financial, and marketing positions with Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation over a 12 year period.
He has served on the Board of Directors of both the Builders Suppliers Corporation (an association of 20 roofing and vinyl wholesale distributors) as well as the National Building Materials Distributors Association (NBMDA), the leading building products distribution industry trade association.
Mr. Ross received a Master of Business Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Husson College, a private business school in Bangor, Maine. He majored in Accounting and Finance with minors in Sales and Marketing.