Members of the roofing and flooring industries are mourning the loss of Dave Gheesling, CEO of FEI Group, who died last Wednesday at age 53.

“It is with heavy, broken hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of our president and CEO,” the Marietta, Ga.,- based company wrote on its LinkedIn page Thursday morning. “He was a light in the industry, a true visionary and an instant friend to everyone he met. It goes without saying that he will be greatly missed.”

Formed initially as FloorExpo 1998, FEI manages national networks of the largest contractors in America in a variety of categories, including single-family flooring in the home builder space, multi-family flooring in the apartment space, cabinets and decorative plumbing and hardware. It entered the roofing space earlier this year by forming the Exterior Contractor Alliance (ECA) with 27 members in 33 states.