Rodney P. Burwell
Born and raised in the Midwest, Rodney P. Burwell attended the University of North, Dakota, where he graduated in 1961 with degrees in Industrial Engineering and “Business Administration. In 1983, Rod received UND's prestigious Sioux Award for outstanding career achievement and distinguished public service.

Proform, Inc. was founded August 14, 1969, by Rodney P. Burwell. The first products of Proform, Inc. were revolutionary FRP barge covers designed for Cargill' of Minneapolis. Mr. Burwell was the inventor, as well as the entrepreneur, and owns the seminal patent in this market. Over 5,000 cover systems were made by Proform, Inc., during the period 1969-1985. Proform, Inc. exited the then weak barge cover market in 1985.

Xerxes Corporation was formed in 1979 by Rodney P. Burwell in order acquire the assets of the Fiberglass Equipment Division of Dart Environmental and Services Company, a subsidiary of Dart Industries, Inc. Xerxes was originally created as a subsidiary of Proform, Inc., which was also wholly owned by Mr. Burwell. Other companies which have been affiliated with Proform, Inc. include: Ornyte Fiberglass - a manufacturer of fiberglass panels; Knytex - the inventor, and for years the sole source, of unidirectional fiberglass fabrics; Xerkon Company - a manufacturer of advanced technology composites parts for aerospace applications.

Mr. Burwell's other businesses include the Silvertree Hotel in Snowmass Village, Colorado; the Madison Concourse Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin; C & B Investments, which operates a group of John Deere agricultural dealerships; and Pace Analytical, an analytical testing company.

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