OAKVILLE, ON, Jan. 8, 2014 /CNW/ - Vicwest Inc. (the "Company") (TSX: VIC, VIC.DB, VIC.DB.A) today announced the appointment of Rod A. Crawford as its Chief Financial Officer, effective February 3rd, 2014.<br /><br />Mr. Crawford brings more than 30 years of strategic, financial and manufacturing experience to his new role. He joins Vicwest Inc. from a leading private North American container manufacturer for the food industry where he was Vice-President, Finance and Administration for the past eight years.  Earlier in his career, he served in CFO roles at Tiercon Industries Inc., a private-equity owned Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, and REA International Inc., also a Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer. Mr. Crawford began his career at Deloitte LLP.<br /><br />"Rod is a responsive, hands-on business leader with a proven track record of driving profitability improvements in multi-location, highly competitive manufacturing environments," said Colin Osborne, President and CEO. "His experience in turnaround, high growth and start-up situations will serve us well, as will his expertise in financial analysis, planning, technology and lean manufacturing. I am confident that his results-driven approach will make him a valued contributor to our leadership team in short order."<br /><br />Mr. Crawford is a CPA and Member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.<br /><br />ABOUT VICWEST INC.<br />Vicwest Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of engineered storage and handling systems for grain, fertilizer and liquid storage as well as building construction products for agriculture, commercial, industrial and residential markets. We operate through two strategically aligned divisions: Vicwest Building Products and Westeel.  With approximately 7,000 customers, 1,200 dedicated employees and 34 business partners, we are positioned for growth in domestic and international markets.  Vicwest Inc. is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index. For more information, visit www.vicwestinc.com. 