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Ron Johnson retires as MMD president, company names successor
04/01/2006
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Ron Johnson retired as president and CEO of MMD Equipment, Swedesboro, N.J., effective March 31, 2006. Johnson, 53, a 28-year veteran of the construction equipment business, was named president of MMD in 1998 after having served in several other executive positions with the company.
“It is a good time for me to move on and pursue some other interests,” he said. “MMD is enjoying a nice and successful run, with excellent growth, and it is probably time to give someone else a chance to see just how far they can take the company. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead MMD and work with a parent/partner company like Mitsui. It has been a great privilege and learning experience. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Steve Scattolini and the entire team at MMD, as well as the great vendors with which I have worked. They have always been the keys to our success. And, I have nothing but best wishes for MMD and my eventual successor.
“I think most people would agree that we have done a good job of building and growing MMD,” said Johnson. “Only a few years ago, MMD derived 60 percent of its revenue from the material-handling business. Today, 98 percent of our business is derived from the construction equipment sector. We are very proud of the transition and the progress we have made in such a short time.”
During Johnson’s tenure as president, MMD purchased the assets of NAC, another distributor of Japanese-built construction equipment, based in the Chicago area. Johnson also started Parts Power Plus, MMD’s aftermarket parts division. Other accomplishments include an agreement with Komatsu to market certain compact excavator models to specific segments of the U.S. rental industry. Towable generators and Farrow surface cleaning products were added to MMD’s line during Johnson’s term as president. MMD also moved to a new facility in 2003. Johnson served on the American Rental Association’s Exhibitor Advisory Committee in 2003-2004.
Johnson is expected to do some consulting work for MMD to help during the transition and likely beyond. However, his long-term plans are unclear.
Bob Wright succeeded Johnson as president of MMD Equipment on April 3, 2006. Wright has more than 25 years of managerial leadership within the capital equipment markets in North America. Most recently he served as division vice president for compact and utility equipment at JCB Construction Equipment’s North American headquarters in Savannah, Ga. He also was vice president of North American sales and distribution during his tenure there. Previously, he served as a senior vice president at Volvo Trucks North America in Greensboro, N.C., and as a member of the board of directors at Arrow Truck Sales, a Volvo subsidiary. Prior to this he held a number of management positions at Mack Trucks.
Wright holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management and marketing from Mercer University in Atlanta.
Wright assumed all operational responsibilities for the company across North America and will serve as an active member on the MMD board of directors.
“I am looking forward to this leadership role within a company recognized for world-class quality in its people, products and services. For many years, MMD has invested significant resources to provide only the highest quality construction and material-handling products to its customer base. It is this passion for quality and customer service that has attracted me to MMD,” said Wright.
In announcing Wright as president, MMD also recognized and thanked Johnson for his stewardship of MMD during his role as president, saying he had led the organization through an exceptional period of growth.
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