COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA, US — Roger Townsend was promoted to chief operating officer for Behlen Mfg. Co., effective Oct. 1.

Townsend will expand his current role leading grain systems, joiners and Behlen Custom Fab to include all revenue-generating business units. He will oversee all of sales, engineering and manufacturing.

“Roger has a tremendous amount of operational experience and in the short 21 months he’s been here, he has proven that first-hand,” said Tom Boal, president and chief executive officer. “Roger exemplifies strong leadership with all aspects of our business from sales to manufacturing, making him an excellent choice for this next step. He understands what it takes to be an industry-leading manufacturing company and has been a part of many strategy deployments throughout his career.”

Townsend said Behlen will continue to focus on improving its processes and taking care of its customers.

“The Behlen culture of teamwork and core values makes this a very exciting opportunity,” he said.