Employee-Owned Central States Announces Two New Board Members

Central States, Inc., a leader in metal building components, roofing, structures, and buildings, has announced the appointment of Jigisha Desai and Scott Deakin to its board of directors.

Desai is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Strategy Officer of Granite Construction Company. Deakin is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer  of Gypsum Management & Supply, Inc. Their election brings the number  of Central States Directors to six as the 100% employee-owned company leverages  outside ideas and thought partnerships to positively impact its employee owners. 

“On behalf of the Board and management of Central States, I want to express our warm  welcome to Jigisha Desai and Scott Deakin,” stated Jim Sliker, CEO and Chairman of  Central States. “Both bring a wealth of insight, perspective, and financial expertise that  along with our other independent directors will continue to grow our company and further  Central States’ purpose of providing for the well-being and financial freedom of our  employee owners.” 

JIGISH DESAI

Jigisha Desai’s distinguished 30-year career encompasses extensive experience as a  financial expert, board director, and strategic leader with a focus on corporate finance,  risk management, business leadership, and corporate strategy. Desai has been serving  as a director and member of the audit, nomination and governance committees for Tutor Perini Corporation since December 2021 and 1st Capital Bank since June 2020. A Certified Treasury Professional and an active member of the  Association of Financial Professionals, Desai earned a Bachelor of Science in  Accounting from the University of Houston and a Master of Business Administration in  Corporate Finance from Golden Gate University.

Additionally, she is an alumna of the  Advanced Management Program and Women Executives on Boards from Harvard  Business School and has attained certifications in Cyber and Business Risk for Board  members from the DCRO Risk Governance Institute.

Beyond her corporate endeavors,  Desai is a passionate advocate for education and women’s advancement, contributing  her expertise to not-for-profit boards such as Pacific Collegiate School, Community  Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, and Girls Inc.  

“As I have been learning more about Central States’ growth and strategies, I see clearly  the company’s commitment to sound governance and its purpose,” stated Desai. “Based  on my previous experience working with ESOP-centric companies, I know the impact  that being employee-owned can contribute to culture and decision making, and I look  forward to contributing as a member of the board.”

SCOTT DEAKIN

Scott Deakin is a proven leader across both manufacturing and distribution sectors with  a 25-year track record. His career includes more than a decade as a Chief Financial  Officer for both privately held companies and SEC registrants. Deakin has distinguished  himself as a CFO, President and Group Executive, and strategic M&A executive leading  diversified companies. including Eaton Corporation, Barnes Group Inc., Ensign-Bickford  Industries, and Lydall, Inc. In these roles, Deakin consistently delivered transformational  change while improving the fidelity of financial controls and reporting, and contributed to  the realization of growth and higher profitability.

Deakin earned his undergraduate  degree from Bowling Green State University and an MBA in Finance and Operations  from Carnegie Mellon University, with post-graduate executive education at Dartmouth  College. He has served on the Boards of Directors of The Bushnell Center for the  Performing Arts and The Hartford Symphony and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.  

“I am looking forward to working alongside the Board and leadership to capture  opportunities for growth, prioritize investments, and mitigate risks, as we protect the  interests of Central States employee-owners and deliver for Central States’ customers,”  stated Scott Deakin. “The impressive growth history of Central States is evidence of the  importance the company has put on long-term employee-ownership interests in  delivering a compelling value proposition for the market.” 

In addition to the Board placements of Desai and Deakin, Central States Chief Executive  Officer Jim Sliker has been appointed Chairman of the Board replacing Matt Kramer  who retired in January 2024. Christopher Harrison, accomplished C-suite executive, board director and advisor was appointed to the Central States Board last year joining  existing members Tina Chang, Chief Executive Officer of SysLogic, Inc., Matt Stites,  President, Clayton Supply, and Tom Ferree, who will retire from the Central States board in June 2024 after 9 years of service. 

According to the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), Central States is  one of 6,500 ESOP companies in the United States, across all industries, and one of  only 2,552 that are over 100 employees. 

ABOUT CENTRAL STATES, INC.

Central States, Inc. is 100% employee-owned and was  founded in 1988. With over 1,400 employee-owners and 11 manufacturing facilities, the  company serves over 6,000 commercial, architectural, post frame, and residential  contractors and customers across the United States across three business operating  units.

Central States Manufacturing is a leading manufacturer of metal building  components with 14 metal roofing and wall panel profiles, along with a full line of trim,  accessories, and structural purlin. Two new factories are under construction, including a  frame plant for pre-engineered metal buildings. Central States Building Works provides  material-only building packages for self-storage and metal building systems.

In 2022,  Central States acquired Elevate Structures (formerly Storage Structures, Inc.), a leader  in self-storage offering the patent-pending Alpha Framing System.