Cliff Cheatwood, retired chairman of Arkansas Mill Supply and a past president of the Industrial Distribution Association, passed away on Tuesday, June 14. He was 72.
According to articles by the Industrial Supply Association/Industrial Distribution and The Pine Bluff Commercial, Cheatwood began his career at Arkansas Mill Supply in 1970 at the age of 26 after a successful sales career with Link-Belt Corporation. He was initially hired as the manager of Power Transmissions. He became Sales Manager in 1976, was elected to the Board of Directors in 1978, made Executive Vice President in 1980, and President/C.E.O. in 1985. Cheatwood also served as Chairman of AMSCO Corporation, which he later spun off as a successful Engineering, Design, Fabrication and Erection Company covering the entire United States. After his retirement from Arkansas Mill in 2014, he remained an active Chairman/CEO of AMSCO.
Along with serving on many different committees and boards through the years, he also pioneered groups like I.D. One, a buying group which became Affiliated Distributors in 2000. He served on network chairs and lent his knowledge with AD whenever possible. Cheatwood also served as the President of the Industrial Distributors Association from 1996 to 1997 and also served on the ARKCO board right up till 2016.
Cheatwood was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Clifton and Ruth Evelyn Hall Cheatwood, and sister, Bobbie Diane Dorman.
Survivors include his wife, Kayla Grimes Cheatwood, whom he married December 18, 1964 in Robinson, Ill.; two sons, Rob Cheatwood and his wife, Stacy, and Cliff Cheatwood and his wife, Shaina, all of Pine Bluff; six grandchildren, Logan, Cody, Kathryn, Cliff, Kayla and Carley Cheatwood, all of Pine Bluff; two step-grandchildren, Jenna and Aly Parks of Pine Bluff; his beloved labrador retriever, Remmy; and black cat, Booger.
Tagged with AD, tED