Menu
July 23, 2019
Brad Southern Named Fastmarkets RISI 2019 North American CEO of the Year
LP CEO praised by independent analysts for company's new strategic direction.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 23, 2019) – LP Building Solutions Chief Executive Officer Brad Southern has been named by Fastmarkets RISI as the 2019 North American CEO of the Year. RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The award will be presented at RISI's North American Conference on October 29, 2019 in Boston, Mass.
A group of investment analysts and portfolio managers covering the North American and global pulp and paper industry selected Southern for his role at LP, an innovative leader in high-performance building solutions. According to RISI, analysts credited Southern for LP's new strategic direction and product innovation. One analyst credited him for helping the company with capital redeployment and another praised him stating, “LP is a company on the rebound due to Southern's dedicated leadership.”
“It's an incredible honor to be recognized by Fastmarkets RISI and the investor and analyst community, an honor that is highly valued by our employees across North America,” Southern said. “Our success is driven by a high-performing team of 5,000 employees focused on transforming LP into a leading building solutions company that delivers top-tier value to our customers and shareholders.”
In announcing the CEO of the Year Award, RISI noted that LP has made significant progress in its business transformation efforts over the last several years by substantially growing its LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding business and increasing its value-added portfolio of structural solutions sold by its OSB business, including LP FlameBlock® Fire-Rated Sheathing, LP TechShield® Radiant Barrier, LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring and LP WeatherLogic® Air & Water Barrier.
Southern joined LP in 1999 and worked in multiple segments in the company before becoming CEO in 2017. Prior to becoming CEO, he was Chief Operating Officer from 2016-2017, during which time the company reported a net sales increase of 29 percent over the previous year. From 2005- 2015 he led LP's siding business before taking the lead for OSB operations, a position he held until he was named COO in 2016. He began his career with MacMillan Bloedel as a forester, where he held a variety of jobs in forestry, strategic planning, finance, accounting and plant management. A native of Georgia, he has a B.S. and a master's degree in Forest Resources, both from the University of Georgia.
About Fastmarkets RISI - Fastmarkets is the leading price reporting, analytics and events organization for global commodities markets, including the forest products sector, as Fastmarkets RISI. Businesses working in the pulp and paper, packaging, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue, and nonwovens markets use Fastmarkets RISI data and insights to benchmark prices, settle contracts and inform their strategies worldwide. Along with objective price reporting and industry data, Fastmarkets RISI provides forecasts, analysis, conferences and consulting services to stakeholders throughout the forest products supply chain.
About LP Building Solutions - As a leader in high-performance building solutions, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP Building Solutions, NYSE: LPX) manufactures engineered wood building products that meet the demands of builders worldwide. Its extensive offerings include innovative and dependable building products and accessories, such as LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, LP Structural Solutions portfolio (LP WeatherLogic® Air & Water Barrier, LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring, LP® TechShield® Radiant Barrier, LP® FlameBlock® Fire-Rated Sheathing and more), oriented strand board (OSB), LP® TopNotch® Sub-Flooring, LP® Outdoor Building Solutions®, and LP Elements® Performance Fencing. In addition to product solutions, LP provides industry-leading service and warranties. Since its founding in 1972, LP has been Building a Better World™ by helping customers construct beautiful, durable homes. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, LP operates 26 plants across the U.S., Canada, Chile and Brazil. For more information, visit LPCorp.com.