Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM), a global business that designs, manufactures and sells critical equipment for the defense, energy and chemical/petrochemical industries, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Daniel J. Thoren as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2021. Mr. Thoren will also join the Board of Directors upon assuming the new role.

Mr. Thoren currently serves as Graham’s President and Chief Operating Officer. He will succeed James R. Lines, who plans to retire from the Company and step down from the Board of Directors.

James J. Malvaso, Graham’s Board Chairman, commented, “We first met Dan in 2019 when we were evaluating the acquisition of Barber-Nichols (“BN”), which we completed on June 1, 2021. Dan has proven his strong leadership skills through the rapid growth of BN and, since joining Graham, has demonstrated a robust vision for the future of the Company. Dan had built a strong leadership bench at BNI enabling this succession plan to be another key benefit of our transformative acquisition. We are excited to have him take charge of the next phase of Graham’s future.

“On behalf of the entire board, I thank Jim for more than 37 years of service to Graham and the notable contributions he made as leading the organization over 15 years. Under his leadership, Graham has improved its cash generation, expanded into more geographic and end markets, with the Navy being particularly noteworthy, and created more flexible and efficient production processes while building a strong culture of quality. We appreciate his support through the transition and wish him the very best in his retirement.”

Mr. Lines commented, “It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the president and chief executive officer of Graham. I value the relationships developed through the years with our employees, customers, and shareholders, and, I appreciate the support the board of directors has provided all these years. I am excited about Graham’s future under Dan’s leadership and look forward to watching the Company transform into a leading defense industry supplier while further advancing our energy business. We have enhanced our strong leadership team with the BNI acquisition, and I expect that, supported by our tremendously talented team of employees, they will propel Graham to new heights.”

Mr. Thoren commented, “I believe these are incredible times for Graham as we work to transform the business and pivot toward growth. I am excited to lead the team as we expand our defense business, develop new products and capture a larger share of the defense and energy markets we serve. I am looking forward to working with our combined team and the Board to drive value for customers and shareholders.”

Dan Thoren became Graham’s President and Chief Operating Officer in June 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Thoren served as Barber Nichols’ President and CEO since 1997 and more than quadrupled the size of the business in that time. From 1991 to 1997, he held Senior Engineer and Engineering management posts at the company. Mr. Thoren earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming and a M.S. degree in Organizational Management from the University of Colorado, Denver.