After more than 10 years of transformational leadership and as part of a planned succession strategy, Comact President and CEO Alistair Cook announced he will take on a new role to help prepare the next generation of Comact leadership and usher in a new era of growth for the company.
Effective November 1, 2024, Cook is executive chairman, and Simon Potvin, formerly president of the company’s wood processing unit, became president and CEO. The company also appointed Travis McDonald to executive vice president – strategy and business development.
Throughout his tenure, Cook has been instrumental in driving growth and fostering a culture of innovation in pursuit of increasing aftermarket products and services to support Comact’s valued customer base for the long term. His commitment to people and his ability to inspire and develop talent within the organization have been key to Comact’s sustained success and resilience in a competitive landscape.
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to lead Comact through a period of remarkable growth and innovation,” Cook said. “I am immensely proud of what our team has accomplished, and I have complete confidence that Simon is the right leader to guide Comact forward. With his deep expertise and commitment to our customers, I know he will build on our legacy and drive the next chapter of success for the company.”
Potvin joined Comact, an associate member of the Southern Forest Products Association, in 1990 as a mechanical engineer and held various roles of increasing responsibility throughout his career, most recently with his appointment as president of the wood processing unit in 2021. Simon and his team are responsible for developing industry-changing technologies, value-engineered solutions, and differentiated aftermarket services for the wood processing industry.
“I am very proud to become the new president and CEO of Comact and honored by this appointment,” Potvin said. “We recently commemorated our 100th anniversary as a company where we celebrated our history of customer commitment and innovation. With this new role, I am excited to pursue our mission and help drive our company forward into its next 100 years. Together with our dedicated team, we will help our customers achieve unprecedented efficiency and keep their businesses thriving.”
Meet Potvin in SFPA’s A Cut Above series, recorded before BID Group rebranded to Comact.
McDonald brings a blend of skills and experience. With more than 30 years of expertise in engineering and strategic capital investments within the wood processing industry and having successfully led Comact’s Project Services teams since 2018, McDonald has been instrumental in driving Comact’s growth and delivering some of the most productive sawmills in North America.
In his new position, McDonald will oversee the development of new business opportunities and growth initiatives across all verticals of the sawmill business, while expanding into new geographical markets.
He will continue to lead the company’s efforts with Smith Sawmill Service, expanding its footprint in cutting tool solutions across North America, and guide CORE Integrators into new markets where Comact’s automation expertise can create significant value.
McDonald also will be responsible for building and maintaining key supplier relationships, fostering partnerships that will help Comact continually elevate the standards of products and services in the market.
“Travis’ leadership, deep industry knowledge, and customer focus will play a vital role in driving Comact’s continued growth,” Potvin said. “His ability to build strategic partnerships and lead high-impact initiatives will help us strengthen our market position and deliver advanced, customer-centric solutions across all our business units.”
As part of this transition, the US Project Services teams — including safety, engineering, construction, procurement, and sales — will be integrated into their respective role teams to centralize functions, maximize efficiency, and ensure standardization of our offerings.
“We are confident that under Travis’ leadership, Comact will continue to innovate and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of OEM high-performance technologies in the wood processing industry,” Potvin said. “Committed to excellence and driven by innovation, we will continue delivering advanced solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.”