ArcBest subsidiary CEO set to retire

Roy Slagle is retiring as president and chief executive officer of ABF Freight after 37 years with the company.

Tim Thorne, most recently the company’s vice president of line-haul operations, will succeed Slagle as head of ABF Freight, a subsidiary of ArcBest Corp. of Fort Smith. The trucking company employs about 11,000 nationwide.

Slagle has served as president of ABF Freight since 2011.

“I feel I have made my contribution and am ready to relax with my wife Karen and enjoy the things and freedom that retirement brings,” Slagle said.

Thorne has been with ABF Freight for 24 years. His experience in operations and field management were seen as positives for the 91-year-old ABF Freight.

Prior to joining the company in 1990, Thorne served as a captain in the U. S. Army. He managed ABF Freight branches in Alabama, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Until 2013, Thorne served as regional vice president of operations

in Salt Lake City.

“I have big shoes to fill and hope to carry on the strong legacy that Roy established,” Thorne said. “I’m up for the challenge and also mindful of the responsibility of making smart decisions that can af- fect the roughly 11,000 people who work for our company.”

Thorne said he would evaluate all aspects of ABF Freight’s operations to see where areas of improvement lie. While the company has targeted its emerging segments as keys to growth, Thorne said ABF Freight must continue to be a catalyst for growth within ArcBest.

“It’s true that our emerging segments are important, but it is equally true that ABF Freight is very important to the success of ArcBest,” Thorne said. “In fact, ABF Freight is the growth engine underpinning our strategic direction to make sure we meet more and more of our customers’ supply chain needs.”

ArcBest reported $ 2.3 billion in revenue for 2013. A quarter of those earnings came from its emerging business segments.

“Tim is a highly regarded leader with a strong customer focus and deep knowledge of our freight operations across the country,” ArcBest president and CEO Judy McReynolds said in a release.