Alter exec named CFO of the Year

Keith Rhodes, CPA, chief financial officer and vice president of finance of Alter Trading Corporation, was named 2008 CFO of the Year at the inaugural St. Louis Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards.

The awards were developed to honor St. Louis-area chief financial professionals in the St. Louis region for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate financial stewards. An independent panel of academic and finance-industry leaders selected Rhodes as the CFO of the year in the large private company category. In total, there were 70 nominees, 15 finalists and five category winners.

With new acquisitions always on the radar, Alter has reached nearly $2 billion in annual revenue and is generating record profits. Leading the charge is Rhodes, Alter’s CFO for the past 11 years. Rhodes has successfully led the senior management team in developing strategic plans for growth, investing $100 million in capital improvements over the past four years (not counting acquisitions), and acquiring nine companies. In addition, he converted Alter’s information systems to an integrated database environment, developed an industry-leading payment solution to better serve suppliers, and pioneered new branding and marketing initiatives.

Prior to joining Alter in 1997, Rhodes served as president of Homestar Industries, a building products manufacturer. Rhodes currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Association for Corporate Growth - St. Louis.