Davidson ready to climb non-corporate pyramids

Robert Davidson is looking forward to being able to travel and “climb pyramids while my knees can still do that.”

Davidson, the president and CEO of Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp., publicly announced Oct. 21 he will retire his management positions and his position on the ABC board of directors effective Dec. 31. Judy R. McReynolds, senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer will become Arkansas Best’s president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2010. She also will join the Arkansas Best board of directors on Jan. 1.

And it’s a clean break. Davidson will be an Arkansas Best shareholder, but will have no other formal link to the company. And although Davidson noted “it is more fun to operate any business in an upturn than a downturn,” he stressed that “the nature of the economy was not a significant factor in my desire to leave.”

The 38-year trucking career comes to a relatively early end. Davidson, 62, could have served until 65, but for the past year has considered an early out so he could enjoy life and travels with his wife.

“We don’t know,” Davidson said when asked about what he might do beginning Jan. 1. “I’m honestly looking forward to doing things with my wife. … We enjoy travel and we look forward to doing that.”

Davidson said his wife has “great organizational skills” and it’s possible they might work together on “some civic or charitable endeavor.”

Will that work be in the Fort Smith area?

Not necessarily, Davidson said. They have a son who lives in the area, but other children who live outside the Fort Smith area.

He intends to retain his post as a member of the U.S. Marshals Museum board of directors.

“I’m really excited about that … we’re making progress. The process is slower than the general public might appreciate … but we are making progress,” Davidson said.

The Marshals Museum planned for Fort Smith is now in the fundraising phase. The board seeks to raise up to $50 million for the project. Fundraising experts have said the process could take up to 7 years.

Davidson also plans to remain on the board of visitors for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

A few of the things Davidson will miss include watching the maturity of the short-haul program the company implemented during his CEO tenure. ABF Freight Systems, the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best, was historically a long-haul carrier, but through the Regional Performance Model (RPM) the company built a network to “be competitive with anybody” in the short haul business, Davidson said. The program has been hampered by economic realities outside of the company’s control.

“We rolled that out during one of the biggest recessions in my lifetime,” Davidson said.

He’ll also miss being part of the company’s effort to diversify it’s business model. It’s no secret that Arkansas Best is studying ways to expand by acquiring operations in logistics or other transportation areas related to moving goods or servicing companies that do.

Most of all, Davidson said, he will miss the people at Arkansas Best.

“You should know how grateful and indebted I am to Robert Young for building this great company … and being my mentor for 38 years and, finally, for giving me the opportunity to lead what really is the best trucking company in the business,” Davidson said, adding that “every single officer” within the ABF management group could run a trucking company.

He especially believes McReynolds, the incoming CEO, is capable of running a trucking company. Any focus on gender misses the point, Davidson argued.

“She has the strong support and admiration of the ABF team, and I think that eventually, if not very soon, everyone will look at Judy as a competent leader and ignore her gender,” Davidson explained.