Monday, August 18, 2014

High Cos. names Armstrong exec to succeed Cooley as CEO



The High Cos. said today that Michael F. Shirk will replace Nevin Cooley as CEO, effective Nov. 3.

Cooley announced in June that he will retire from the East Lampeter Township-based company in 2015.

Shirk is vice president of architectural specialties worldwide at Armstrong World Industries and responsible for managing sales, engineering and manufacturing in North America, Europe and Asia.

High, which was No. 3 on the Business Journal’s Top 100 Private Companies list in 2013, finished last year with $515.6 million in revenue. That was down from $595.9 million in 2012. High is the largest privately held company in Lancaster County.


Shirk has been a member of the High boards of directors since 2011. He is also on the board of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

A Lancaster resident, Shirk has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Bucknell University, a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

Cooley has been with High since 1986. He has served as CEO since 2012.

In April, the company’s construction division lost its president and COO. Jeff Sterner, president and COO of High Industries Inc., is overseeing High Construction Co. in the interim.

High spokesman Dave Nicholas said the company was planning an announcement on the Shirk hire this afternoon. Check back for more information.

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