Astec Industries has appointed Barry Ruffalo as its president and chief executive officer, starting from 12 August 2019. Richard Dorris, currently interim chief executive officer, will then resume his role as chief operating officer.

Mr Ruffalo has also been elected to the board of directors, joining as a Class I director and will stand for re-election at the company’s 2020 annual meeting.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Ruffalo worked for Valmont Industries - a diversified global producer of highly engineered fabricated metal products - where he served in group president roles since 2016, having previously served as its executive vice president for operational excellence beginning in 2015. Before that, Mr Ruffalo was with Lindsay Corporation, a global leader in proprietary water management and road infrastructure products and services.

“After a comprehensive search that included a number of highly qualified candidates, we are excited to hire Mr Ruffalo,” said Bill Gehl, chairman of Astec. “Barry brings a wealth of experience to Astec. He is a leader that has driven change, understands infrastructure and will add tremendous value.”

“I am excited to join Astec as its CEO and a member of the board of directors,” said Mr Ruffalo. “I look forward to moving forward with measures to make Astec more profitable and agile while building on the strength of its world-class products.”