Verst Logistics is steering into its next chapter of family-controlled leadership, tapping industry veteran Todd Johnson as its next chief executive. The Walton-based 3PL says Johnson will step into the CEO role on August 1, while company founder Paul Verst shifts to executive chairman after more than 30 years at the helm. The move locks in a long-planned succession at one of Greater Cincinnati's largest private companies, a family-owned firm that reports more than $300 million in annual revenue.
Succession announced on company channels
The leadership handoff was rolled out on the company's LinkedIn channels, where Verst said Johnson will officially become CEO on Aug. 1, 2026 and will keep the president title at the same time, according to Verst Logistics' LinkedIn. Johnson has been president and chief operating officer since joining the company in 2019 and previously held senior roles at Kenco, Menlo, UPS Supply Chain Solutions and DHL, per Verst Logistics' website. Verst has cast the move as a classic internal succession that keeps day-to-day leadership steady for operations and customers.
What the local reporting shows
The Cincinnati Business Courier notes that Verst ranks among Greater Cincinnati's top 50 private companies, with revenue topping $300 million, and that Paul Verst has guided the business for more than three decades, according to Cincinnati Business Courier. That coverage characterizes Johnson's promotion as a measured leadership transition rather than an abrupt exit and highlights Verst's position as a sizable regional employer across Ohio and Kentucky. Local business observers say the change keeps strategic control firmly inside the family-led enterprise, even as a non-family executive takes the CEO seat.
Scale and recent growth
Founded in 1966, Verst has grown from a regional outfit into a nationwide network of warehouses and contract-packaging sites and said this year that it operates more than 8 million square feet of space as it marked its 60th anniversary. The company has recently added fulfillment and packaging capacity in markets including Phoenix and North Carolina as part of a broader growth strategy, according to the firm's posts and weblog. More detail on the anniversary and footprint is laid out on Verst's blog.
What to watch next
Earlier this year, Verst lined up a new centralized office location as it moves to consolidate operations, a step local reporters have linked to larger operational upgrades inside the company. Leadership changes at the top could help speed up the integration of recent expansions and the opening of the new office, which local coverage has noted is part of the firm's 2026 plans, according to Cincinnati Business Courier. For customers and suppliers, the near-term signal to watch will be how Johnson, who is already running daily operations, chooses to communicate continuity or any tweaks in execution and client service.
“We're excited to announce Todd Johnson as our next CEO,” the company wrote in its LinkedIn post unveiling the move, emphasizing that the succession is meant to “build on Verst's strong foundation” as Paul Verst transitions to executive chairman, per Verst Logistics' LinkedIn. The update directs readers to a fuller announcement and related materials on the company's site.
