ArcBest announces ABF Freight leadership change
by January 11, 2021 1:05 pm 2,320 views
Seth Runser was on Monday (Jan. 11) named to be the next president of ABF Freight, the largest subsidiary of Fort Smith-based ArcBest. He will succeed Tim Thorne, who is set to retire June 30 after 31 years with the company.
ABF is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers and operates more than 240 North American service centers. ABF Freight revenue totaled $561.856 million in the third quarter, below the $565.621 million in the same quarter of 2019. The revenue was a significant portion of the $794.98 million posted by parent company ArcBest. ABF operating income for the segment was $36.646 million, better than the $31.722 million in the same quarter of 2019.
Runser, ABF vice president of linehaul operations, will be promoted to the new role of ABF chief operating officer, effective Feb. 1, 2021, and will become ABF president on July 1, 2021.
Runser, 36, joined the company in 2007 as a management trainee in Cleveland, Ohio. He has moved around the country, living in Youngstown, Ohio; Dallas; Akron, Ohio; Baltimore, Md.; and Kansas City, Mo., before relocating to the corporate headquarters in Fort Smith. His work history with ABF includes operations supervisor, regional training specialist, service center manager and regional vice president – operations. A native of Ohio, Runser holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Kent State University.
“Seth is a goal-oriented and values-driven leader who has a deep knowledge of our freight operations,” said Judy McReynolds, ArcBest chair, president and CEO. “He will work to facilitate growth and ensure our ABF team continues its strong commitment to quality and providing a great customer experience. Tim and Seth will work closely in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition, and I am confident Seth will lead the team to continued success.”
Thorne has been president since October 2014. He joined ABF in 1990 as a supervisor assistant after serving as a captain in the U.S. Army. Prior to becoming president, Thorne’s work at ABF included service center manager in Alabama, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, as a regional vice president of operations in Utah and as vice president of linehaul operations.
“Over the past three decades, Tim has made significant and meaningful contributions to our company as ArcBest has expanded and diversified to meet customers’ needs,” McReynolds said in the statement. “He has approached each role with integrity, enthusiasm and excellence. I thank Tim for his dedication and longtime service to our organization, and I wish him, his wife Diane and their family the very best. He will be greatly missed.”
ArcBest is scheduled to post fourth quarter and full-year earnings on Feb. 2 before the markets open. ArcBest share prices (NASDAQ: ARCB) in the past 52 weeks have ranged between $48.78 and $13.54.