International Electric Supply Corp. (Dallas, the U.S. holding company that oversees Rexel Inc. and Gexpro): Christopher Hartmann, chief operating officer of Thomas & Betts Corp. (T&B), will succeed Dick Waterman as executive vice president and CEO in late January. Waterman will remain with IESC in an executive role. He will take on other duties, including becoming chairman of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) in 2008-09. Hartmann was promoted to T&B's COO post in October 2006. Before that, he was the head of T&B's electrical products operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Hartmann joined T&B from Affiliated Distributors (A-D), where he served as president and chief operating officer.
Arrow Wire & Cable Inc. (Pomona, Calif.): Dave Sanders has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing. He will lead all sales and marketing operations for all locations in Arizona and California. He had previously worked for Leviton Manufacturing as a sales executive.
The Conduit Division of Robroy Industries (Gilmer, Texas): Laurie Ivy has been named an inside sales associate for Robroy PVC-coated rigid conduit. Ivy was previously employed by Robroy Industries for two-and-a-half years and is returning to contribute to its expansion efforts. She is returning to the Gilmer, Texas, area.
Ideal Industries Inc. (Sycamore, Ill.): Terry Stevens has been appointed to regional manager. She has more than 15 years of experience in the electrical industry. She will report to Bob Bukowsky, vice president of sales. Stevens comes to Ideal from Osram Sylvania where she served as national sales manager, Consumer Products. She has served as a board member for NAED Lake Michigan Club, Chicago Electric Association and Chicago Electric Association Education Foundation.
A.O. Smith Electrical Products Co. (Milwaukee, Wis.): Thomas A. Scrimo has been named senior vice president-global operations and a member of the company's senior leadership team. He will have overall responsibility for the company's electric motor manufacturing operations in the United States, Mexico, China and Europe. Scrimo was vice president and general manager at Federal Signal Corp.'s Elgin Sweeper Vehicle Division.
Roden Electrical Supply Co. (Knoxville, Tenn.): After 30 years at Roden Electrical Supply Co., including 17 years at the helm, Sam McCamy III is leaving Roden to tend to personal and family business interests. Under his leadership, Roden grew from $12 million to more than $120 million in annual revenues, culminating in the sale of the business to Kendall Electric Inc. of Battle Creek Mich., on July 20, 2007. Jeff McCamy will continue with Roden as director of sales and marketing. Sam McCamy said he will be working on a venture to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses profitably. Neil Gillespie, a longtime Roden strategy consultant and current Roden vice president of marketing, will be collaborating with McCamy on his venture, and will be leaving his position at Roden Electric also. Kendall Co.'s Mike Wehrenberg will transition into the leadership role for Roden Electrical Supply during the first quarter of 2008. Wehrenberg has held a series of increasingly responsible positions at Kendall Electric during the past 19 years. Currently, he is the Automation and Controls sales manager for Kendall Electric and a trustee of the Kendall Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Shermco Industries (Dallas): Roger Boos has been hired as corporate safety engineer to head up the company's safety initiatives. Boos brings over 25 years of safety training experience to Shermco and has worked with major municipalities and Fortune 1000 companies such as Texas Instruments, Alcatel and EDS. Boos is fluent in Spanish, an approved field service representative for the Texas Worker' Compensation Commission and a trainer, motivator and compliance officer for OSHA and MSHA-based safety programs.
Gamewell-FCI, part of Honeywell's Life Safety group (Northford, Conn.): Gamewell-FCI has hired three new regional managers to support its growing network of ESDs (engineered systems distributors) throughout Latin America and two key U.S. territories. As Latin America regional manager for Gamewell-FCI, Alex Nino works closely with engineers and distributors in Central and South America, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Fluent in English and Spanish and having established relationships with fire and electronics industry professionals in this area, Nino's background fits this role well. Alex Salter is the new regional manager overseeing the Gamewell-FCI Western territory of Arizona, Hawaii and the southern areas of both California and Nevada. A resident of Viejo, Calif., Salter has worked within the electronics industry for more than 13 years. Robert (Bob) Veenstra of Fairport, N.Y., is the new Gamewell-FCI regional manager supporting the Mid-Atlantic region, comprised of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and upstate New York. Veenstra has more than 20 years experience in the fire and security industry.
American Fibertek Inc. (AFI, Somerset, N.J.): Theodore “Ted” Turczyn has been appointed director of distributor sales. He joined AFI following a career in the communication systems integration field, including positions with Belden Cable and International Fiber Systems. In addition to his responsibility for the management and growth of the AFI products distribution channel, Turczyn will also be responsible for other developing vertical distribution channel markets in North America.
Wide-Lite (San Marcos, Texas): Terry Headrick has been named national marketing manager. He will operate out of the company's headquarters. Headrick spent his entire career in lighting and brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to the company, officials said. Headrick will be relocating to the San Marcos/Austin area from South Carolina.
Columbia Electric Supply Inc. (Brockton, Mass.): Bob Studley has been promoted to the position of supervisor for the Route 66 Overnight Delivery Service, operating from the company's recently opened distribution center, located in East Taunton, Mass. In this role, Studley will oversee the night time delivery service, ensuring the accuracy of orders, scheduling and deliveries, in addition to other responsibilities. Studley, originally from Brockton, has been employed with Columbia Electric for 20 years during which time he has held positions within the purchasing and sales departments.
Leviton Network Solutions Division, a division of Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc. (Bothell, Wash.): Dennis Manes has been named the company's newest senior applications engineer. Manes brings to Leviton more than 17 years experience in the telecommunications industry. He has worked in design specification consulting and project management roles for state and city governments in the Western United States, and most recently worked at Davis Monthan Air Force Base as project manager on a communications infrastructure project.
Wiseway Supply (Florence, Ky.): Ed Jung has been named director of branch operations. He most recently served as director of Underwing Operations at Comair, a position that required constant evaluations of customer service and efficiency. His primary focus and responsibilities at Wiseway will be the management and growth of the company's existing five locations and the growth of future locations.
Rep News
Rick Schaller, who formerly held positions as vice president of marketing, and vice president of branch operations and sales for Electrical Wholesalers in Hartford, Conn., has established EMF, a manufacturers' rep organization based in the state of Connecticut. EMF will initially cover Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
Schaller brings 30 years of experience in electrical distribution, manufacturing, and retail sales and marketing to the Connecticut and western Massachusetts markets.
“With all my career invested in the New England market, and having been a part of all the various channels that bring product to this market, this is a logical step,” said Schaller. “With all the different views I have had, I look forward to using them to grow a professional marketing and sales organization.”.
Prior to working for Electrical Wholesalers, Schaller was the Northeast Electrical Merchant for Home Depot, and previously held sales and account manager positions with Leviton Manufacturing, and sales positions with the A. A. MacPherson Co.