Press Releases
: 1998
CITATION CORPORATION
2 Office Park Circle, Suite 204
Birmingham, AL 35223
Contact: Stanley B. Atkins
205-871-5731
August 14, 1998
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - F.F. Sommer, Citation (Nasdaq: CAST)
President and COO, was named Chief Executive Officer, at a regular meeting
of the Board of Directors August 13. The appointment was made at the request
of T. Morris Hackney, Citation Chairman, founder, and formerly CEO, who
had indicated a desire to move to a less active role in the Company. Mr.
Hackney, 66, retains his role as Chairman of the Board. The moves are effective
Monday, August 17.
F.F. "Rick" Sommer joined Citation Corporation
in August 1996. He had been President and CEO of Automotive Industries,
Inc., an automotive supplier. Mr. Sommer joined the company in 1990 as
Executive Vice President. From 1990 through 1996, sales at Automotive
Industries grew from approximately $170 million to $700 million and Lear
Seating, Inc. subsequently acquired the company.
Mr. Sommer has more than 30 years of automotive engineering
and management experience. Nissan Motor Manufacturing Company previously
employed him in engineering, operating and staff executive positions.
Prior to that he was with Ford Motor Company for 17 years in various engineering
and operating positions.
Mr. Hackney, who founded the Company in 1975 from one
location in Bessemer, Alabama, has been the only Chief Executive Officer
at Citation until now. The Company's sales were approximately $2.5 million
in its first year and almost went under, but Mr. Hackney persevered.
Through a combination of internal growth and acquisitions,
he managed the Company's growth from one location to its current 22 locations
in 10 states and expected sales this year in excess of $700 million. From
a small producer of ductile iron, Citation grew to one of the largest
producers of aluminum, iron and steel castings, steel and aluminum investment
castings, steel forgings and machined and assembled components for the
capital and durable goods industries.
Citation became a public corporation in August 1994,
when it held its initial public offering.
Mr. Hackney is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis and was President of the Hackney Corporation, a manufacturer
of chain-link fencing products, prior to founding Citation. He is also
Chairman of the Hackney Group, a private company.