Great Dane’s president, COO Rick Mullininx to retire

After rising from an intern to president and COO, Great Dane’s Rick Mullininx will retire in 2026. In the meantime, he will help choose and onboard the next CEO.

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Sept. 11, 2025

2 min read

Key Highlights

President and COO of Great Dane, Rick Mullininx, will be retiring in 2025
As part of the transition process, Mullininx has joined the company's Board of Advisors
He'll stay on to help select and onboard Great Dane's new CEO

After over 40 years with the company, Great Dane President and COO Rick Mullininx will be retiring as of Dec. 31, 2026.

“Rick embodies the spirit of Great Dane,” said Chairman Bill Crown. “His work ethic, operational expertise, and deep connection to the company’s values have helped shape Great Dane into what it is today. His journey from intern to president is a testament to his extraordinary dedication and leadership.”

Mullininx first joined Great Dane in 1980 as a summer engineering intern in research and development in Savannah, Georgia. In 1982, he officially joined the company as an engineer in the same department, where he developed designs for customer orders. Over the next four decades, Mullininx went on to become director of Manufacturing Engineering, VP of Manufacturing Engineering and a plant manager, and VP of Engineering. In 2011, he took on the role of EVP of Engineering, where Mullininx handled product design and engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality assurance, and customer service.

Finally, he became Great Dane’s COO in January 2023, succeeding Dean Engelage when the latter rose to CEO of the company.

Mullininx will stay in his current role until after Great Dane transfers to a new CEO. In the meantime, he will serve on the company’s Board of Advisors and continue to complete projects for Great Dane’s growth, as well as select and onboard the company’s next leader.