Buffalo Rock names Fitzgerald Washington to its board of directors

Buffalo Rock Company has added Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington to its board of directors.

Washington has an established history with the Birmingham-based beverage company having worked at Buffalo Rock for 15 years prior to his appointment as labor secretary in 2014. He served as corporate marketing and sales director and handled the company’s multicultural marketing initiatives before being promoted to General Sales Manager in 2002.

Matthew Dent, president and CEO of Buffalo Rock, offered his appreciation for Washington’s service to the state and his upcoming work as a director.

“We are honored Fitzgerald is joining our board,” Dent remarked in a release from the company. “He showed his visionary leadership skills during his time with our company, and he’s continued to lead as the state’s Labor Secretary, especially navigating the challenges posed by the recent pandemic. His experience and expertise will be invaluable to our board as we look to the company’s future.”

Washington has remained a central figure in Alabama’s effort to cultivate its workforce in recent years.

From his current position, he has led numerous workforce initiatives and participated in a new alignment of workforce regions to facilitate better distribution of the state’s workforce resources.

He currently serves as a member of the Alabama Workforce Council, the Alabama Small Business Commission, the State Workforce Development Board, the Alabama Bicentennial 200 Commission and the Alabama Pandemic Response and Preparedness Commission. He is also a past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, where he helped create the Minority Business Council to foster growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses in the region.

“I am pleased to join Buffalo Rock’s Board of Directors to provide any insight and assistance I can,” Washington said. “It is a pleasure to return to a company with which I have such a long history. My goal is to serve in a way that will impact Buffalo Rock Company positively as we strategically advance the business and drive growth across all three states where the company operates.”

One of the nation’s largest privately held, family-owned Pepsi and Dr. Pepper bottlers, the company launched a $75 million expansion late last year. It is the most extensive such project in the company’s history.

Jimmy Lee, executive chairman of Buffalo Rock, referenced that growth in welcoming Fitzgerald to the board.

“Buffalo Rock has been an industry leader for more than 120 years right here in Alabama, and we know Fitzgerald’s visionary leadership will help us to continue to grow,” Lee stated. “I’m grateful for his willingness to be part of our board.”

Buffalo Rock employs more than 2,100 people and serves more than seven million consumers, according to the company.

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia