Glen Raven Inc., a global provider of performance fabrics, announced that Allen E. Gant Jr. retired on October 5 as CEO of the family-owned company, founded by his grandfather in 1880. Gant will remain chair of Glen Raven’s operating board. He announced his plans to retire as CEO in 2013. The announcement activated a succession plan that named C.G. (Leib) Oehmig IV, a 28-year veteran of Glen Raven, president and COO, with the intent that he would become CEO upon Gant’s retirement.

“Leib’s previous leadership role will serve him well as the next CEO of Glen Raven,” Gant says. “He is a transformative leader and a strategic architect of the company’s current course focused on solutions for our customers. His ability to lead will be felt across our company’s global footprint for years to come.”

Oehmig joined Glen Raven in 1989 and led the construction and management of the company’s million– square-foot Sunbrella®manufacturing center in Anderson, South Carolina. His tenure at Anderson led to his promotion as president of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, the maker of Sunbrella—a position he held until he was named president and COO of Glen Raven Inc.

Glen Raven is a special place because all employees, Oehmig says, “regardless of position or location, consider themselves part of one team—one Glen Raven. It is an honor and a privilege to lead an organization driven by a culture that embraces transformational change.”

As CEO, Oehmig leads a global company with 40 locations in 17 countries on six continents. The company is dedicated to improving lives through innovations in fabric, while serving clients, consumers, and its more than 3,000 associates around the world. As Glen Raven continues to grow, Oehmig provides leadership to ensure a culture of integrity and innovation while maintaining the high standards of quality and service for which Glen Raven is known.

Gant joined Glen Raven in 1971—his first job was in industrial engineering—and rose through the ranks until he was named CEO, in 1996. After 21 years in that position, Gant notes, he relishes the long-term potential and global reach of Glen Raven’s solutions under Oehmig, the first CEO from outside the Gant family in the company’s 137-year history.

“For as long as I can remember, Glen Raven has been in a constant state of transformation,” Gant says. “That’s how we have remained relevant in the markets we serve, and it also serves as a constant reminder that you have to drive change and not just respond or react to it.” Driving change is central to the role Oehmig envisions for himself and his team as he begins his tenure as CEO.