In a statement, the refractories supplier said Tabor will step down from the board on 31 March, officially concluding a career in refractories that spans 65 years.

Tabor came to Allied in 1970 as sales manager, back when the company was small and relatively unknown in the industry. Even though he hired on as a manager, the only person he was responsible for was himself – he was the only salesman at the time.

But would soon change, the company said.

“Jon’s vision helped transform Allied from a two-man partnership into a multi-national corporation with almost 1,000 employees in 25 countries and manufacturing facilities in eight countries and four U.S. states,” it said.

Tabor grew with the company, taking on positions as vice president of sales, president, chief executive officer and eventually chairman.  He became an emeritus in 2017. 

“Throughout his career, Jon was relentless in his pursuit of success for Allied. His energy and passion for both customers and employees showed in everything he did. Jon’s leadership guided Allied to become the company it is today,” the company said.