Oct. 7, 2020

Sioux Falls-based Raven Industries Inc. has announced key leadership changes.

The company said the moves are part of its “continued strategy to drive greater growth and to further position the company for long-term success.”

Steven Brazones, current chief financial officer, will become vice president for the applied technology division. In his tenure at Raven, Brazones has successfully led several strategic undertakings that are elements of the division’s growth strategy, including two acquisitions and strategic partnership building, Raven said in a news release.

“Steven is the ideal senior executive to lead applied technology and our significant growth plans for Raven Autonomy,” CEO Dan Rykhus said.

Brian Meyer, current vice president of applied technology, will become vice president for the engineered films division. Meyer began leading applied technology in 2015 when the ag market was in a sharp downturn. During his time, Meyer improved quality, streamlined manufacturing and enhanced customer service and relationship building with key customers, Raven said. Under his leadership, applied technology grew revenue over the past five years by $40 million.

“Brian is steadfast in his approach to drive optimal results, despite any unchangeable external factors. It’s this same execution and passion that he’ll bring to engineered films and the execution of its strategic plan,” Rykhus said.

“We are reorganizing senior executives because our future is strong, and we believe we are at the start of a significant growth trajectory for our organization. By making these changes, we are placing ourselves in the best position to execute and capitalize on the opportunities before us.”

Raven has significantly increased its investments in two targeted areas, Raven Autonomy and Raven Composites, with positive results despite the backdrop of the pandemic.

“I’ve never been more confident about our current and future position within our selected markets,” Rykhus said. “We have the right technology, the right resources and the right talent.”