U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc. Chairman Jimmy Hill announced today that Stuart Thompson, age 49, has been appointed by the Board of Directors as Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative. Mr. Thompson joined USTC in 2011 as Chief Financial Officer. He has over 18 years of experience in senior management roles in a range of industries. Prior to joining USTC, he was the CFO of BTC Electronic Components, a value-added distributor of aviation electronics; EVP, CFO and CEO of The Sunrock Group, a middle market construction materials company that operated quarries, concrete and asphalt plants in multistates; and President of Sigma-Aldrich Canada, the Canadian Subsidiary of a Fortune 500 biochemical manufacturer.
Mr. Thompson served in the U.S. Navy on an AEGIS Cruiser during the First Gulf War and is a graduate of Duke University.
The USTC’s Board of Directors and Chairman Jimmy Hill welcome Mr. Thompson as CEO. Mr. Hill said, “We look forward to his strong management and financial background in fulfilling the Cooperative’s mission of serving our flue-cured tobacco grower members.”
Mr. Hill further stated that Mr. Thompson has the full confidence and support of the Board and that the Board expects the full cooperation of all employees in supporting Mr. Thompson.