Maria (Scutaro) Mullen, who was appointed President & COO of Hubbardton Forge on June 1, 2020, will now assume the role of CEO, with Bubba Sandford having completed his mission to assist the company in navigating the draw-down and closure due to the pandemic and subsequent successful re-opening of production. With Sanford's guidance, Hubbardton Forge moved from one shift to two and was able to ship through an unprecedentedly high backlog after a five-week closure in March/April. Today, the company is back at 100 percent employment, and boasting its highest production rates ever. Most importantly, Sanford's direction helped to keep the Hubbardton Forge team safe and healthy.
Mullen, a lighting industry veteran executive with more than a decade of experience at the helm of two major companies, also led her own lighting design/manufacturing company prior to joining Hubbardton Forge back in June. She transitions this month to the role of Chief Executive Officer for the Vermont manufacturer. Mullen is well-respected among industry leaders, sales rep’ agencies and customers, according to Hubbardton Forge. “I am honored and excited to have been selected to lead this wonderful company. We have a great and talented team, a terrific culture and a desire to innovate and lead in design and technology,” Mullen said. “We are writing the next chapter in this classic American story and I look forward to leading the team to new heights.”
In addition to the company’s recent announcement of Andrew Knapp as VP of Sales, overseeing Commercial, Trade and Residential Showroom sales, Hubbardton Forge has also announced the promotion of Steve Wiegers to the manufacturing leadership position as VP of Operations. Wiegers has been with the company for 18 years and began his career with the company as a Manufacturing Team member. He has since held a variety of managerial roles within the Forge, including that of Supply Chain Manager, before being promoted in March 2020 to Acting Director of Operations. He, now, assumes his new role as VP of Operations. “Steve is extremely talented and, moreover, committed to Hubbardton Forge. He is exactly the type of manager any company would be lucky to have,” Mullen said. “His hard work in managing the shutdown and reopening was exceptional, and his ability to improve operations during this challenging year helped us come out of this period stronger than before. I look forward to working with Steve in his new position to continue to improve and grow our company.”
