Acuity Appoints New President and CEO, Acquires LocusLabs
Acuity Brands Inc. recently appointed Neil M. Ashe as its president and CEO. Additionally, the Board of Directors appointed Ashe as a board member. Ashe, 52, will take over the CEO position from Vernon J. Nagel, who will remain with the company in the newly created role of executive chairman. Ashe will also become the president of Acuity Brands replacing Richard K. Reece, who will become executive vice president of the company and president of Acuity Brands Lighting, the primary operating subsidiary of the company.
Ashe formerly served as president and CEO of global e-commerce and technology at Walmart Inc. and president of CBS Interactive and CEO of CNET Networks Inc.
Acuity Brands has also acquired LocusLabs Inc., a leading indoor mapping and location platform. The LocusLabs software platform supports navigation applications used on mobile devices, web browsers and digital displays in airports, event centers, multi-floor office buildings and campuses. Visitors employing LocusLabs’ software can easily search, explore and navigate large, complex indoor spaces.
LocusLabs’ proprietary reality-capture tools and rendering processes produce a highly detailed 3D map of the interior of a large venue in a matter of days. In turn, LocusLabs Venue Management System software allows venue managers to populate and maintain 3D maps with thousands of places, products and other points of interest, as well as to provide integration of live data streams, such as security wait times.
The combination of LocusLabs technology with the Atrius® IoT platform from Acuity Brands will provide venues with an indoor positioning system that can be rapidly deployed and easily maintained, enabling visitor and employee wayfinding, asset tracking and business analytics.
For more information, visit acuitybrands.com.
Electri-Flex Announces Company Promotions, Anniversary
Electri-Flex Co. has promoted several key staff members.
Brock Klein has been promoted to national sales manager. In his new role, he is responsible for the leadership of the domestic U.S. sales team. Klein started with Electri-Flex in 2017 as regional sales manager and has nearly 10 years of experience in the electrical industry with a focus on business development, product management and sales.
Joe Fedoruk has been appointed manager of strategic accounts. This is a new role for the company, designed to manage and strengthen strategic national accounts. Fedoruk started with Electri-Flex in 2013 as regional sales manager. He has more than 20 years of experience in the electrical industry, holding sales, marketing and management positions in distribution and manufacturing.
Denise Butler has been promoted to distribution manager. In this new role, she is responsible for the distribution of goods, which includes overseeing customer service, transportation and the distribution center. Butler started with Electri-Flex in 2013 as customer service manager. She carries nearly 25 years of experience in the electrical and electronic industries, holding various management positions.
Electri-Flex Co. is celebrating 65 years as a leader of manufacturing high-quality flexible Liquatite® conduit. Founded in the Chicagoland suburbs in 1955, Harold Kinander Sr. led Electri-Flex in producing the first type of Liquatite® conduit. Today the company manufactures nearly 50 varieties, offering one of the widest ranges of conduit available in the marketplace.
Electri-Flex is third generation owned and operated. In 1955, Kinander Sr. incorporated the company and founded the Liquatite® brand. Today his grandchildren, Jason W. Kinander, CEO; Blue Kinander Kelly, vice president and JR
Kinander, vice president, successfully lead the organization. Janice Ruthe, chief operating officer, has been a tremendous addition to the executive team, focusing on many departmental changes, efficiencies, growth and leadership for the company. And Roy Hunn, vice president of operations, carries more than 40 years at Electri-Flex and provides wisdom and a vision for the future of the company through his leadership and manufacturing improvements.
What started in a Chicagoland chicken hatchery in 1955, Liquatite® is now manufactured and distributed from three buildings, all within a one-mile radius. This expansion is a symbol of the company’s history, success and future. Roy Hunn leads the investigation and implementation of new technologies in manufacturing, including metal fabrication and the extruding process.
For more information, visit electriflex.com.
David Oldfather Selected as IDEA President & CEO
The Industry Data Exchange Association Inc. (IDEA) Board of Directors selected David R. Oldfather as the new IDEA President and CEO. Oldfather is a well-known industry veteran, having served in leadership roles at Affiliated Distributors, Hagemeyer North America and Jigsaw Systems. He and his wife Grayson have two recently married children.
"The board is delighted to see someone with significant industry experience take the helm. David will ensure a successful new platform launch and drive execution of user enhancements without a steep learning curve," said Rick Gigliotti, IDEA board chair.
"A good deal of progress has been made since NEMA and NAED announced their partnership to develop a data warehouse to promote the exchange of product information electronically through a common interface point more than 20 years ago," said Oldfather. "With the demand of product content accelerating, I believe a focus on the fundamental purpose of IDEA is as appropriate now as it was then: IDEA should continue to offer an efficient, robust digital exchange between electrical trading partners, with complete product information synchronization coming directly from manufacturers through IDEA to their authorized distributors."
He noted that this process is made possible through IDEA commitment to standards oversight and facilitation with a strong focus on industry-wide priorities. For more information, visit idea4industry.com.
ILLUMUS Announces Organizational Changes
Ken Hawley has been named vice president of national accounts, Dave Weinberg has been named vice president of sales and Jason Hendren is moving into an executive advisor role at ILLUMUS.
Hawley joined Green Creative in 2017 as vice president of sales and brings 19 years of experience in the lighting industry. He brings tremendous industry experience, relationships across the channel and application expertise to this critical role
Weinberg joined ILP in 2005 and has held various positions during his tenure with the most recent being vice president of marketing for ILLUMUS. He brings prior sales leadership experience, a wealth of product knowledge and solid agent relationships to this critical role.
Hendren is transitioning to an executive advisor role. In 2003, he founded ILP and grew it into a nationally recognized brand focused on energy-efficient lighting. "With the ILLUMUS integration complete, now is the right time for me to step back into this advisory role while remaining an ambassador for the company," said Hendren.
For more information, visit illumus.com.
Leviton Announces New VP of US Distribution Sales
Leviton announced the promotion of Stuart Serota to vice president, U.S. distribution sales. Serota assumes this role from Bill Cheetham who, after 47 years of service to Leviton and 50 years to the electrical manufacturing and distribution industry, announced his retirement effective Dec. 30.
Cheetham began his career with Leviton in 1973 as a sales representative in New Orleans. He progressed through many sales manager levels, including the role of eastern region corporate vice president. Since 2010, Cheetham has led the electrical sales team as vice president of distribution sales where he has focused on customer value creation and expansion.
During his tenure, Cheetham has created one of the industry’s best field sales teams, emphasizing a culture that exceeds both company and customer growth objectives. He was also the recipient of NAED’s Associate Service Award in 2018.
He will work with Serota to ensure a seamless and successful transition for all of Leviton’s customers.
Since beginning his career as an account representative at Leviton in 1993, Serota has covered key territories including the five boroughs of New York City. His success has led to a more expansive geography including parts of Long Island that now make up one of the largest sales territories in Leviton sales history.
For more than two decades, Serota grew each market and achieved many awards for his efforts.
For more information, visit leviton.com/en.
Milbank Reorganizes Sales Team
Milbank Manufacturing is restructuring its sales organization to support the company’s long-term growth strategy.
Milbank will operate with three regions in the United States: west, central and east. The new regional delegations replace the previous configuration of four regions. To ensure operations continue at a high level, each region will be managed by a director of sales who will have responsibility for all sales and operations in their region.
Stacey Lager has assumed the position of director of sales, west region and international sales. Jay McMullen returned to the field as director of sales, central region. Jack Hackathorn has been promoted to director of sales, east region.
Adrienne Sander, hired in April 2019 as regional sales manager, has been promoted to director of metering and enclosures and will relocate to the Kansas City area this year. Sander will oversee all metering and enclosure sales and operations, including product development, inside sales and customer service.
For more information, visit milbankworks.com.
NSI Appoints National Accounts Director, Acquires SullStar Technologies
NSI Industries LLC (NSI) has appointed Tim Vanderaa as the company’s director of national accounts. Vanderaa brings more than 20 years of sales experience and will be responsible for managing and leading the team of national accounts managers and responsible for developing sales strategies.
Prior to joining NSI, Vanderaa spent most of his career as the director of sales for Greenlee in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He has also worked for Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. and most recently was the director of sales for Emerson for its commercial and residential solutions business.
He will be based at NSI’s corporate headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina.
NSI has also acquired the Simi Valley, California-based SullStar Technologies, expanding its product portfolio and leadership position in the low-voltage product market. SullStar Technologies designs unique patented tools and connectors for the datacom and telecom markets.
For more than 20 years, SullStar Technologies has been partnering with NSI’s Platinum Tools division, which NSI has also acquired for the distribution and sales of its products. SullStar’s patented specialty electrical products include crimp tools, pushdown tools and connectors and the company has 60 patents worldwide.
As part of the overall acquisition, NSI will gain ownership and work on maintaining and enforcing SullStar’s current patents. SullStar’s patented product portfolio consists of high-value items that feature unique characteristics to better meet professional electrical installers’ needs.
The SullStar products will be branded under NSI’s Platinum Tools division.
For more information, visit nsiindustries.com.
OmniCable Names Central Regional Vice President, Opens Distribution Center
OmniCable Corp. has promoted Chris Bjorkman to central regional vice president and hired Brooks Hoff as San Francisco regional manager.
In his new role, Bjorkman is responsible for managing OmniCable’s Toronto, Chicago, Houston and St. Louis locations and working closely with the company’s regional managers in those facilities.
Bjorkman joined OmniCable in 2018 as director of market development. During his first year with the company, he successfully led the opening of OmniCable’s Toronto branch collaborating with every corporate function and hiring the Canadian sales team.
Prior to OmniCable, he served more than 30 years in sales and marketing roles in the wire and cable redistribution market throughout the United States and Canada.
Hoff will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and leadership of OmniCable’s San Francisco branch, which services electrical distributor in northern California and northern Nevada. He brings more than 20 years of electrical distribution and sales management experience to OmniCable.
Prior to joining OmniCable, Brooks was the director of sales at Buckles-Smith.
He also held management roles with Hoffman Enclosures and Fluke Corp. OmniCable has also opened a new distribution center. The Cincinnati facility is OmniCable’s 14th location and services electrical distributors from the following states: Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and parts of West Virginia.
The new distribution center, which is approximately 40,000 square feet, offers electrical distributors striping and cutting services and access to a full line of specialty wire and cable.
For more information, visit omnicable.com.
RAB Lighting Chairman Richard Barna Retires
Richard Barna, chairman of RAB Lighting, has announced his retirement. The company’s board of directors has appointed CEO Ross Barna to succeed him in a dual role as CEO and chairman. This transition is the successful culmination of a multi-year succession plan.
Richard Barna will continue as a member of the RAB Board with the title of director and chairman emeritus. He served as CEO of RAB Lighting from 1977 until 2010 and successfully passed leadership responsibility on to Ross—the fourth generation of RAB’s family ownership.
Richard Barna led RAB’s long history of innovation in the lighting industry including the introduction of the first motion-activated lighting control sensor, early advances in LED lighting and a revolution in lighting packaging and merchandising. He was the recipient of the NEMRA "Manufacturer of the Year" award and RAB has garnered more than 50 "Supplier of the Year" and marketing excellence awards.
For more information, visit rablighting.com.
Arlington Honors Top Reps at NEMRA20
Arlington Industries presented its rep sales awards at the recent NEMRA20 Conference in Orlando, Florida. The winners are:
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National Sales Achievement Award: Tower Sales Inc.
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Central Region Sales Achievement Award: L.P. Chick Co. Inc.
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Western Region Sales Achievement Award: D.Z. Cook Co.
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Southern Region Sales Achievement Award: E-Tel Inc.
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Eastern Region Sales Achievement Award: P&M Sales Ltd.
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Canadian Sales Achievement Award: Munden Enterprises Ltd.
Barb Dujan, Hawkins Sales of Ohio, received Arlington’s Inside Salesperson of the Year, which is given by Arlington’s customer service staff to the inside salesperson delivering the best performance at a firm representing Arlington.
For more information, visit aifittings.com.
DDS Rebrands Service Offerings
Distributor Data Solutions (DDS) rebranded its primary solution offerings around the delivery and management of "next-generation" product content for manufacturers and distributors.
DDS’ content-as-a-service offering for distributors is now CONTENT/io and its corresponding syndication-as-a-service for manufacturers is SYNDICATION/io. The purpose of DDS’ rebrand is to distinguish its manufacturer- and distributorfocused solutions, which have grown significantly and distinctly under the same name—DDX, or the Distributor
Data Exchange, per the company’s initial development focus from the perspective of the distributor (company founders Dale Holt and Matt Christensen came from a successful electrical distributorship). DDS’ CONTENT/io service for distributors delivers multiple manufacturers’ product content via automated, scheduled and pre-formatted files customized to each distributor’s e-commerce platform and needs.
With SYNDICATION/io, DDS also applies a "custom" treatment to the ingestion of manufacturer content.
According to Christensen, rather than forcing every supplier’s data—and each has remarkably different data—into any sort of standard template, DDS uses a custom import for every product line so that all information available from manufacturers is preserved and stored exactly the way it was produced. This also prevents certain types of data, and excess amounts of data, from being lost when it can’t "fit" into a pre-defined template.
For more information, visit distributordatasolutions.com.
Hammond Power Solutions Opens Warehouse, Donates to School
Hammond Power Solutions (HPS) has opened a new warehouse in Reno, Nevada. The new facility will replace the warehouse in Compton, California with plant operations in Compton being unaffected.
The new warehouse will better accommodate HPS’ growing product sales and provide improved shipping lead time in select regions. The Reno warehouse is triple the size of the Compton facility at 36,000 square feet and will house an expanded number of product SKUs.
The new warehouse facility will be managed by experienced personnel from Baraboo, Wisconsin, ensuring an orderly transition for customers.
In other company news, Hammond Manufacturing donated a Hammond Aluminum Eclipse Jr Series enclosure, which is lightweight and provides Type 4X protection to the Mechanical Technology Program at North West Career and Technical Academy (NWCTA) in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was in need of an enclosure to house and protect its dragster’s Racepak Data Recorder/Logger.
The Mechanical Technology Program teamed up with Wildman Performance and its affiliates to help the students at NWCTA gain a better understanding of manufacturing processes, simple machines and thermodynamics.
For more information, visit hammfg.com.