SALINA, KANSAS, US — Vortex announced executive management changes that it said will set the stage for its next generation of corporate leadership.

In addition to chief executive officer, Travis Young was named president to lead the overall direction and strategy of the company. He is the fourth president and CEO in the company’s 44-year history. Young has been with Vortex for 16 years, previously leading its marketing and international business development initiatives.

Jeff Thompson is stepping down as president and chief operating officer; but will retain his position as Vortex’s chief financial officer. In his role, Thompson will also serve as a senior adviser to the new leadership team and will continue to oversee IT, human resources, and accounting. Thompson was president and CEO for the past 13 years and has been with the company for 18 years.

Brian Burmaster has been promoted to chief sales and marketing officer. Burmaster will be responsible for client retention, customer service, operational engineering, and overall revenue growth for the company. Burmaster previously was vice president of sales and has been with the company for 14 years in a variety of customer-focused disciplines.

Cory Downing has been promoted to chief operating officer. In his new role, he will have responsibility over Vortex’s production, facilities, operations, product development and organizational development. Downing has been with the company for 15 years and has experience managing Vortex’s engineering and manufacturing engineering efforts, as well as new product development.

“We recognize that Vortex is a more dynamic and a much larger company than when I initially accepted the roles of president and CEO in 2007,” Thompson said. “There is a clear business need to have executive roles in place that are more focused on the key facets of the business, especially as we move into a new decade.”

Young added, “Jeff (Thompson) has done an outstanding job in his tenure as CEO and president here at Vortex. Under his leadership we were able to define our core values as an organization and experience the greatest period of growth in Vortex’s history. His mentorship as a senior adviser will be vital and much appreciated by all of our executive team members.”