Hussey Seating Company announced last week that Brian Deveaux will assume the role of CEO in addition to his current position as president, effective July 1. Gary Merrill, the current CEO, will retire from the company on the same date, after more than 35 years of service.

Brian Deveaux Courtesy photo

According to a May 8 news release, Deveaux’s promotion to CEO is the next step in the planned leadership transition that began in July 2022, when he assumed the role of president while Merrill remained CEO. To facilitate a smooth transition, Merrill will remain involved with the company as an advisor through the end of 2023.

“Brian has been an integral part of the Hussey Seating team since he joined the company in 2017,” said Gary Merrill in an email. “I have tremendous respect for him and the Hussey Leadership Team, and I am confident they will continue to honor the legacy of the Hussey family while continuing to grow and steward the company for future generations.”

Before joining Hussey Seating Company as CFO, Deveaux was a partner and co-founder of Leaders, LLC, a Portland-based consulting firm that specialized in advising family businesses in strategic transactions. He has also served as chief operating officer for Seabrook International and held several management positions in operations at Bath Iron Works.

“On behalf of the board of Hussey Seating Company, I want to express our gratitude to Gary for his outstanding leadership and service to the company. We are grateful that Gary will remain involved with the company as an advisor through the end of the year, ensuring a smooth transition to Brian Deveaux as our next CEO,” said board chair, and sixth-generation family shareholder Letitia Hussey Beauregard, in the email. “Brian has been a valuable member of our leadership team since he joined the company in 2017, and we have full confidence in his ability to build on Gary’s successes and lead the company into the future.”

Merrill was elected president and CEO of Hussey Seating in 2016, and in the seven years that followed led the company to achieve four of its five highest sales figures in company history. Following Merrill, Deveaux is the just second non-Hussey family member to serve as president and CEO in the family-owned company’s 188-year history.

“I am truly honored and humbled to be assuming the mantle of leadership at this incredible Maine company,” said Deveaux. “I want to thank Gary for his leadership over the last seven years, during which time the company and our family of 300 dedicated employees have flourished. We are set up for a bright future, thanks in large part to Gary’s leadership through some challenging times. I look forward to building upon his successes, and to nurturing the legacy that the Hussey family has carried for 188 years.”