GMS Inc., a North American specialty distributor of interior building products, announced that Mike Callahan, President and Chief Executive Officer, has informed the Board of Directors of his decision to retire effective August 2, 2019. In addition, the Board has appointed John C. Turner, Jr. as President, effective May 1, 2019. Mr. Turner will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer at the time of Mr. Callahan’s retirement.

Mr. Turner will join GMS from Dal-Tile Corporation, a subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, Inc., where he currently serves as President, a position he has held since January 2012. Mr. Turner brings to GMS almost 30 years of industry experience and a broad range of expertise in operations, sales, customer service, distribution and logistics as well as strategic planning and M&A.

Richard K. Mueller, Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder, said “Mike’s planned retirement caps a truly remarkable career, and on behalf of the Board and everyone at GMS, I want to thank him for his invaluable contributions and dedication to the Company over the last 26 years. Under his guidance and stewardship, GMS has transformed into the public company it is today and one that is strongly positioned for continued growth. Mike has always fostered the entrepreneurial culture which has been a core value of GMS since its founding in 1971, empowering dedicated employees and an experienced leadership team to drive superior execution. We wish Mike all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Mr. Callahan said, “After a 26-year career at GMS, I am confident that now is the right time to transition the Company to its next generation of leadership. Working alongside all of our talented associates has been my great privilege and the highlight of my career. I am extremely proud that together we have built the number one North American specialty distributor of interior building products. While there is always more work to be done, I know that GMS has the right team in place to reach even greater heights. I am committed and look forward to continuing to lead GMS for the next several months while working closely with John to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mr. Mueller continued, “We are fortunate to have found a leader like John to join GMS as the Company works to capitalize on the growth opportunities in our large, diverse end markets and to continue to differentiate its service model as the premier service provider in the industry. The CEO succession announced today follows rigorous planning by the Board, and we are confident that John will become intimately involved with all aspects of GMS in the coming months as President and will seamlessly transition to the CEO role this summer.”

Mr. Turner said, “I am excited to join GMS as President and honored to succeed Mike as the Company’s next CEO. I have long admired GMS for its strong market position, the strength of its national network coupled with local expertise and teams focused on superior service delivery. I look forward to working with the GMS Board and management team, and further strengthening our customer and supplier partnerships as well as our value proposition to advance the Company’s next phase of growth and success.”