Central States Manufacturing hires first chief market officer

Tontitown-based Central States Manufacturing Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of metal building components, has hired Jennifer Davis as chief market officer.

In a news release Thursday (Sept. 7), Central States said the position is new for the company. Davis will oversee the company’s marketing, strategy and innovation functions. She will also be the executive leader of the growing Central Storage Works business. Davis will report to CEO Jim Sliker and join the firm’s executive leadership team.

“Jennifer is a highly experienced business leader with a proven track record of building brands, driving transformative innovation, and serving customers in a variety of demanding industries and we proud to have her join Central States, Sliker said. “This new role and Jennifer’s skillful and energetic leadership will be critical for our continued evolution as the market leader.”

Davis brings more than two decades of executive marketing, operations, and general management experience. She has previously worked for Learfield, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Honeywell, Planar and Intel.

She is the author of the book, “Well Made Decisions” about organizational decision-making and strategy implementation.

“I am honored to join such a well-regarded company and to be so warmly welcomed by the company’s employee-owners,” Davis said. ”After getting to know Central States, I am impressed by the culture that has been created, the growth that has been achieved, the long-term relationships built with customers, and the unwavering commitment to give back to the community, which is a cornerstone of the brand. Looking forward to the bright future ahead.”

Davis is based in Atlanta but plans to relocate to Northwest Arkansas.

Central States was founded in 1988. The company is 100% employee-owned, with over 1,300 employee-owners and 11 manufacturing facilities, serving over 6,000 commercial, architectural, post-frame, and residential customers across the United States.