Grove City, Pa.-based Forta Corp., a long-time player in synthetic reinforcing fiber, has named Peter Ferris as chief executive officer, succeeding John Lindh, who becomes chairman of the board. Ferris arrives from Dur-A-Flex Inc., where he served as president and chief operating officer and helped build the East Hartford, Conn. business into a resinous flooring leader. In 2022, he led integration of Dur-A-Flex into the Global Supply Chain and Performance Coatings Groups of suitor Sherwin-Williams. Ferris arrived at Dura-A-Flex in 2011 with nearly three decades’ experience, including executive tours with businesses in coatings, polymers, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and defense.
“Peter Ferris has consistently demonstrated throughout his career the ability to build teams that achieve strong performance and growth,” says Lindh. “We welcome his business experience and leadership.”
“Forta is uniquely positioned to successfully grow in the global concrete and asphalt markets,” adds Ferris. “I look forward to working with John and the Forta team to further achieve the company’s commitment to excellence in innovation and customer service.”
STEEL DEAL
The leadership transition announcement dovetails Forta’s acquisition of Helix Steel LLC, whose Micro Rebar twisted steel reinforcement products suit a variety of concrete applications. “Helix has an incredible portfolio of intellectual property, including several patents and a robust new product development pipeline. Our synthetic fiber and Helix Micro Rebar products will provide customers a comprehensive solution for a broad range of concrete reinforcement needs,” says Forta President Lauren Camp.
“This will be a tremendous benefit for our customers and employees. The combined design and field support organizations will be better positioned to provide innovative solutions for a diverse range of concrete applications. Forta’s global footprint provides access for our 5-25 and 8-52 twisted steel Micro Rebar products to new international and domestic markets that would have otherwise taken us years to develop organically,” adds Helix Steel CEO Luke Pinkerton, who founded the Michigan business in 2003. The company now spans Ann Arbor headquarters and an ISO 9001-2015-certified Grand Rapids production facility.