Cornerstone Building Brands (parent company to PlyGem, Simonton, Silver Line, Atrium and numerous other door and window brands) named Gunner Smith its new CEO. In April, the company announced former CEO Rose Lee had resigned in March, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Lee had served as CEO of the company since September 2021, following the retirement of James S. Metcalf. Since Lee’s departure, John Krenicki, chairperson of the company’s board of directors, has served as interim president and CEO.
Smith was selected by the company’s board of directors through a comprehensive search, officials said. His strong commercial background and experience leading high-performing businesses in the building products industry, along with his relentless focus on delivering value to customers, positioned him as the best choice for the role, they said. His role becomes effective August 11.
Most recently, he served as president of roofing at Owens Corning, a leading building products manufacturer, a position he held since 2018. In this role, he had responsibility for a market-leading roofing business in the United States and Canada focused primarily on roofing shingles and components that go to market through distributors, home centers and lumberyards. Prior to assuming this role, he served as vice president of sales, distribution and home centers and in other positions leading sales, marketing and pricing for the organization since he joined Owens Corning in 2008.
“We are excited to have Gunner Smith joining Cornerstone Building Brands as our next CEO,” said Krenicki. “He has tremendous depth of experience and expertise in the building products industry and an unwavering focus on customers. With a proven track record, Gunner has driven profitable growth and market share gains by achieving revenue growth and delivering value creation as a trusted partner to his customers, including many of our existing channel customers.”
Before joining Owens Corning, Smith was a National Sales Manager at PlyGem, which is one of the two companies that formed Cornerstone Building Brands. Earlier in his career, he served in sales management roles for eight years at Elk Corp.
He has been a board member of Howmet Aerospace since 2023, serving on the Audit and Finance Committees. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi State University and additional credentials in executive selling from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Smith takes the helm with Cornerstone following a year in which the company reported significant financial losses. The net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024, came in at $1.19 billion, marking a significant increase compared to 2023, when the net loss was $75.5 million. The increase in net loss in 2024 was significantly impacted by goodwill impairment losses of $866.1 million and other impairment charges, the company’s annual report said.