Following an extensive national search, Central States Inc. announced Kurt Weaver as the incoming chief executive officer for the enterprise business, including Central States Manufacturing, Central States Building Works, and Elevate Structures.
The appointment comes more than two years after current CEO Jim Sliker was elected chairman of the board for Central States Inc. and will enable him to fully transition into his position leading the board of directors. Sliker will work closely with Weaver throughout 2026 to support his onboarding and ensure a smooth transition. Weaver assumes the role on June 1, 2026, at the Tontitown, Arkansas headquarters location.
“Following a comprehensive and rigorous search process, the board is confident that Kurt is the right leader to guide Central States into its next phase of growth,” says Christopher Harrison, lead director on the Central States board. “His track record of scaling businesses, operational depth, and alignment with our values make him a strong fit for our employee-owned culture.”
Weaver's experience
Weaver comes to Central States with more than 30 years of experience in the automotive and flooring sectors. In his most recent role, president of Mohawk Industries’ Resilient Flooring division, he successfully grew the business to more than $1 billion in annual revenue by focusing on product development, market expansion and operational efficiency.
Weaver has a strong engineering and continuous improvement background. In his previous roles at Toyoda Gosei, a multi-billion-dollar subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, Weaver held leadership positions in sales, engineering, and administration, before being named President of Toyoda’s truck business. He has also served in sales and engineering roles for both Ruecker Engineering and American Sunroof.
“I am excited to join the team at Central States – recognizing the alignment of the company culture with my team-based leadership style made the decision to join the company easy,” says Weaver. “That decision was further supported by meeting a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic team. I'm also looking forward to moving to the area and enjoying all the outdoor activities Arkansas has to offer. I would like to thank Jim and the Central States board of directors for making the rigorous recruitment process valuable for everyone.”
Sliker's career
Sliker has served as Central States CEO since 2013, joining the company after a 20-year career in the automotive industry. Under Sliker’s leadership, Central States entered a period of unprecedented growth, including new manufacturing plant openings in South Dakota, Kentucky, Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, South Carolina, and Utah. During this period, Central States also expanded its Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB) offering with the opening of a new metal frame plant in Springdale, AR, and added construction capabilities and the patented Alpha Framing System with the acquisition of longtime customer Storage Structures, later rebranding the company Elevate Structures.
As chairman of the board for Central States Inc., Sliker will continue to provide leadership for the seven-member board to ensure effective governance, strategic oversight, and accountability of executive leadership in collaboration with the third-party trustee to represent the interests of the 1,300 employee owners of the company.
“Serving as CEO has been a blessing and the highlight of my career,” says Sliker. “I am proud of what the collective Central States team has built together over the years. As I move more fully into this next chapter, I have full confidence in Kurt as our new CEO. He brings a deep background and a strong alignment with our purpose, values, and culture. I look forward to supporting him and the leadership team as we continue to innovate to better serve our customers.”