News

David Arnold, Vice President and long-time employee, has been named President of Royal Engineered Composites.

Arnold is replacing Phillip Gill as overseer of all day-to-day operations and strategic planning. In preparation for Gill’s exit, Arnold was moved into the role of Vice President late last year. At this same time, Materials Manager Jason Bates transferred into the role of Production Manager. Gill will remain CEO and Chairman of the Board.

Arnold came to Royal in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. In 2003 he earned his MBA from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. During his tenure at Royal he has held a number of positions including Engineering Manager and Vice President of Operations.

In 2008 Gill established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan for the company and began selling stock to the employees. While he continues to be the majority owner of Royal, Gill has plans to sell the remaining shares of the company to the employees in the future.

In an address to employees last week Arnold noted his optimism for the future by saying “I believe in the success of this company and the people that own it… Together, we will continue the journey that Phil has started us on.”

Royal Engineered Composites offers complete design, manufacturing and prototyping services, as well as mold making and technical support, for aerospace and defense companies. Until 2010, Royal was known by its original name of Royal Plastic. The change to Royal Engineered Composites reinforces Royal as an industry leader in the production of composite parts and more accurately represents the company’s technical capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and expertise.