The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has tapped retiring Mohawk Industries executive Bill Kilbride as president-elect to succeed Ron Harr as president and CEO on a schedule to be announced.
According to Howard Levine, chair of the Chamber Board, Harr will continue as CEO for several more months. “We were disappointed that health concerns have made it necessary for Ron to retire early,” Levine said. “He has set a high standard of organizational performance, and I believe Bill is the best person to continue and build on the Chamber’s outstanding track record.”
Currently, Kilbride is Chief Sustainability Officer of Mohawk Industries and president of its home division. He joined Mohawk in 1993 when it acquired American Rug Craftsmen, of which he was president at that time. Prior to coming to Chattanooga and transitioning into the carpet industry, Kilbride worked in financial services in New York for 20 years, where he held positions in banking operations with several national banks, roles at the New York Stock Exchange, and served as first vice president of planning for Dean Witter Financial Services.
Levine pointed out that Kilbride’s business experience reflects the opportunities and challenges that face Chattanooga’s regional economy as a whole. “Bill helped build Mohawk Industries into a Fortune 500 company that recently surpassed $7 billion in revenue by selling American-made products during an era in which off-shoring became the norm,” Levine said. “His experiences in finance, in building a small company into an international powerhouse, and in navigating a global economy with local products, make him the ideal person to lead the Chattanooga Chamber into the future.”
“I am honored by this opportunity,” Kilbride said. “The Chattanooga Chamber plays a critical role in supporting job creation in our regional economy and steering our community toward prosperity. Leading the Chamber will give me the chance to combine my passion for the Chattanooga area with my passion for business in a way that allows me to give back to the community that has been such a great home for my family.”
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger applauded Kilbride’s experience in advanced manufacturing. “Bill has on-the-job experience with the workforce issues we’re addressing as Hamilton County strives to become a national model for educational excellence,” Mayor Coppinger said. “He can interact with existing industry executives and recruitment prospects as a peer who understands their concerns and needs.”
According to Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, Kilbride’s track-record combines job creation with environmental stewardship in keeping with Chattanooga’s longstanding values and history of transformation. “During Bill’s tenure with Mohawk Industries, he helped the company grow its regional job totals substantially while also leading efforts to convert 16 of Mohawk’s plants into zero-landfill facilities,” Mayor Berke said. “That’s a remarkable achievement, and it shows that Bill understands how better business practices include waste reduction so that we preserve our environment while growing our economy.”
The Chattanooga Chamber Executive Committee approved the recommendation of the CEO Search Committee unanimously and authorized Levine to work with Kilbride and Harr to finalize the timeline and details of the transition. Kilbride will retire from Mohawk in July and plans to take some personal time before assuming full-time leadership at the Chamber on a schedule to be announced.
Harr confirmed his flexibility in the succession process. “Bill is an outstanding choice to be the Chamber’s next leader,” Harr said. “I feel better about retiring now that I know Bill’s capable hands will take the helm when I leave, and I’m glad to stay on until we work through a seamless transition process.”
Kilbride was born and raised on Long Island, N.Y., and attended Tennessee Wesleyan College, where he majored in Business Management. After graduation, he pursued a financial services career in New York where he worked for several national banks, served as director of market surveillance for the New York Stock Exchange, and later became first vice president of planning for Dean Witter Financial Services.
In 1992, Kilbride family relocated with his family to Chattanooga to join American Rug Craftsmen as its president. In 2010, the role of chief sustainability officer for Mohawk Industries was added to his responsibilities.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Bill has been a member of The Bright School Board of Trustees, an appointee of the Governor of Tennessee to chair the Tennessee Arts Commission, past Chairman of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor’s Advisory Board, past Chairman of Tennessee Wesleyan College, and a past member of the Board of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority. He has also served as a Trustee of the Hunter Museum and of First Centenary United Methodist Church in Chattanooga.
Bill, his wife, Mary, and their children are long-time residents of Chattanooga.