Jim Pines, executive vice-president, will assume the daily administrative operations of the trailer manufacturing company and will continue to oversee manufacturing operations.
Chris Adkins, senior vice-president of sales and marketing, will handle the sales operations portion of Hammond's responsibilities.
Hammond, who was named president in May 1997, will remain on the board and will take an active role in customer relations such as attending trade shows and other events.
He began his career with Great Dane in 1963 as an engineer and moved into sales in 1966. He was named vice-president of sales in 1984 and promoted to executive vice-president and general manager in 1996, a year before he was named president.
"The time has comeÑif not passedÑfor me to retire," said Hammond. "I have enjoyed more than 40 years of service with Great Dane, carrying on a family legacy that started in the 1930s with my father."
Hammond's father, Chris Hammond Jr, joined Great Dane as a sales representative in Orlando FL in 1937 and later served as president and chairman of Great Dane's board of directors.
