New president to take over at longtime Bellingham manufacturing facility

A large Bellingham manufacturer has a new president and CEO.

Wood Stone Corporation announced in a news release Friday that Chris Trout has accepted the top post. Current president Kurt Eickmeyer will transition to a newly created position called Chief Relationship Officer, where he will maintain relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and community partners.

Trout is currently the vice president of strategy at Henny Penny, a food service equipment manufacturer based in Eaton, Ohio. Henny Penny bought Wood Stone in 2014.

No additional changes are happening as a result of Trout being hired, said Tamra Nelson, vice president of marketing for Wood Stone.

Wood Stone was founded in 1990 by Keith Carpenter and Harry E. Hegarty. Known for making wood-burning pizza ovens, the company has diversified into a variety of commercial kitchen equipment.

The Bellingham facility has grown in the years since being purchased by Henny Penny, Nelson said. Wood Stone has become the oven of choice for several national companies, including MOD Pizza, Blaze Pizza and Your Pie.

The company’s newest product, the Gas Plancha, is a departure from the stone hearth models. It is being used by Chipotle and other restaurants across the U.S., Nelson said.

The company has 117,000 square feet of space in two buildings near the Bellingham International Airport. Wood Stone currently employs around 130 people in Bellingham, Nelson said. Henny Penny and Wood Stone have been employee-owned since 2015.