Rosenbauer announces retirement of president Harold Boer

Nov. 8, 2019, Lyons, SD – Rosenbauer America Group is honoured to announce the retirement of its chairman and president Harold Boer effective Dec. 31. John Slawson has been appointed by the Rosenbauer America supervisory board to replace Boer.

Slawson comes to the group with vast fire industry experience and is well suited to lead the group as it continues to grow and remain a leader in fire technology.

“I am deeply moved by the appointment to chairman and CEO,” said Slawson in a news release. “Rosenbauer’s culture has been admired around the industry for decades. My commitment is to enhance customer experience while maintaining focus on innovation.”

Slawson has held executive leadership roles within the fire industry since 2004 and has worked extensively on resolving and improving each organization he has led. His passion for the product and the fire industry continues to grow year after year.

“We’ve built an organization known for its innovation and dedication to the fire service. The supervisory board has appointed a proven leader who will provide strong leadership and maintain the pace of innovations Rosenbauer is known for,” said Boer in a news release.

John Slawson most recently served as the president of Spartan Motors from 2015-2018. During his tenure as Spartan’s president, Slawson led the acquisition of a vertically integrated apparatus manufacturer, increased revenue and revitalized product development. Slawson has also served as president of Horton Emergency Vehicles, US Tanker and Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles.

Harold Boer, alongside his wife, Helen, entered the fire industry in 1982 when they incorporated their service station into Central States Fire located in Lyons, SD. In 1998, the Boers joined the Rosenbauer America Group, which included General Safety in Wyoming, Minn., as well as Rosenbauer International based in Leonding, AU. In June of 2016 the Boers entered partial retirement, and Harold stepped back from his role as CEO of Rosenbauer South Dakota; Scott Oyen was appointed to replace him.