IPEX Announces Retirement of General Sales Manager
Mention a major construction project almost anywhere in the United States—residential, commercial, municipal or industrial—and Don Riches’ wheels start turning.
That’s because he likely knows about it or had a hand in it.
And as he heads into retirement as general sales manager U.S. for IPEX, Riches admits he’ll miss the cut and thrust of daily business. After all, the wheels on his IPEX career bus have gone ‘round and ‘round—and very successfully—for some 36 years.
Now, at 66, still spry and quick to smile, he’s looking to spin some new retirement wheels that will surely involve a lifelong love of travel shared with his wife of 46 years, Sally. “We’ve travelled a lot over the years,” he said. “But we have yet to visit Australia and Africa, so those two places are on the list. Our goal in two years is to say we’ve cruised the world.”
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta and educated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Riches became an apprentice electrician after high school, then a journeyman and later a foreman, when he began wondering how he’d feel as age crept up on him doing the same job.
“Even back then, I wanted to be in sales—and not an electrician for the rest of my life,” he said. “I always liked interacting with people.”
So in 1981, he joined Scepter Manufacturing, the predecessor company to IPEX, as regional sales manager, electrical products, for British Columbia. A few years later, he took charge of Scepter’s national accounts—all while heading up the company’s largest PVC molding plant.
In 1992, Scepter merged with Canron Pipe to form IPEX, which over the next decade, would become one of the world’s largest pipe and fitting manufacturers. Then in 1995, after IPEX purchased Multi Fittings Corp. in the United States, Riches became general sales manager, U.S. electrical products. He passed this torch to his successor, John Gaither, on his retirement, April 28.
With no cell phones in the early years, he recalls keeping pockets filled with quarters and making sure he could find a dry phone booth to contact his customers and sell orders. But one thing hasn’t changed for Riches: “We exist for our customers.”
“In 1995 when IPEX moved into the United States, no one knew us,” he said. “We started with very low sales volume and grew to hold more than a third of the market over a range of product lines. I’m a huge believer in building trust relationships; I have a lot of people I know from business that I’ll call friends for the rest of my life.”
If he had it to do over, would he do things differently? “I wouldn’t change a damn thing. I’ve had a glorious career with a great company that’s given me the freedom and resources to do what had to be done to grow our U.S. presence.”
But now that the career bus has rolled to a stop, other wheels—the ones on a golf cart, among others—are about to spin for Riches. As well, he plans to explore volunteer work in his community—when he and his wife aren’t traveling, of course.
Asked if there’s anything else in store, the grin widened a bit and his eyes lit up. “Well, I bought a BMW Z4 sports car last year, and it’s only got 4,400 kilometers on it,” he said. So the wheels will keep on spinning for Don Riches as he travels new roads into retirement. Riches has been a major supporter of IMARK Group and our members throughout his career.
Millbank Hosts Week of Training, Appreciation for 90-Year Anniversary
More than 100 Milbank manufacturers’ representatives from across the country joined the sales team at Milbank’s National Training Center in Kansas City, Missouri during the second week of May for a deep dive into to the company, its products and how to better serve its customers in the electrical industry.
The week kicked off with the three-day Milbank Institute of Training, which covered product training on metering, enclosed controls, transfer switches, RV pedestals, enclosures and new products. Between sessions, attendees had the opportunity to visit the sales trailer, see dozens of product demonstrations and visit with the Milbank team. Tours of the Kansas City plant and the UL lab gave attendees a well-rounded view of the company.
“It’s important to get face-to-face time with our representatives,” said Chris Buelow, vice president of sales and marketing. “We had a great week strategizing with our reps and finding ways we can all add value to our distributor customers and overall channel.”
On Friday, May 12, rep agency principals arrived for Milbank’s National Sales Meeting. The day began with an introduction from President Brad Skinner and a discussion with the family owners on the rich history of the company.
“The family was so generous and very interactive,” said Jimmy Baltazar of Delandsheer Sales, “I was made to feel like part of the company.”
Presentation topics included sales reviews, product development and new data and marketing initiatives. The principals toured the plant and the day concluded with a rep panel, attended by reps and all Milbank corporate employees. The panelists were Don Edgar of Lee Noonan, Jason Bunch of Porter Sales, Pete Jones of EMS, Skip Watson of Fields Electrical Sales and Brian Peters of the National Association of Electrical Distributors. The panelists offered their insights on the current and future state of the industry, what changes industry players are seeing and how Milbank can remain competitive in the manufacturing space.
Entertainment for the week included a 90th anniversary celebration for the attendees and Milbank employees on Tuesday and a full day watching the NASCAR race at the Kansas Speedway on Saturday.
In other company news, Milbank recently announced the appointment of Katrina (Trina) Henke as chairman of the board. Previously vice chairman of the board, Henke succeeds Warren Weaver, who passed away in January.
Henke, one of Milbank’s third-generation owners, has a long history with the electrical manufacturer. Since 1985, she has held positions in marketing, planning and executive leadership. Henke has served on the Milbank board since 1994, and has served as vice chairman of the board since 2003.
For more information, visit milbankworks.com.
Students Help Design Logo for Omni Cable
Mercy Career and Technical High School student Roberto Rodriguez created the winning secondary logo for Omni Cable in a logo design competition.
Omni Cable, headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, recently partnered with Mercy Career and Technical High School’s graphic design junior class (nine students) to help design a secondary logo for the company. Mercy is a private, urban career and technical high school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in Philadelphia.
The class participated in a logo design competition, with the winning design voted on by Omni Cable’s employeeowners. The winner, Roberto Rodriguez, was announced live on Good Day Philadelphia’s “Kelly’s Classroom” segment on May 17. For his work, Rodriguez will receive $2,000 in tuition assistance from Omni Cable.
“I was very surprised and extremely grateful that my logo was chosen by Omni Cable. This is the first time that I’ve ever been involved in a contest of this stature and it made my day and has made my family extremely proud,” Rodriguez said. “When [my family] picked me up from school, they bombarded me with congratulations and even some balloons. They were telling me about how they saw me on TV, with my name being announced as the winner, and that also put a great big smile on my face. What really made me happy was seeing the reactions of my family.”
For the past three years, the school’s graphic design class has participated in an internal logo design competition where students were matched with faculty members to create a fictitious company and an accompanying logo. The student winners were selected by peers and faculty members via paper ballot.
“The 2017 competition was a bit more exciting as our students were matched with Omni Cable,” said Amanda
Tees, Mercy’s graphic design instructor. The inception of the Omni Cable/Mercy logo design competition began in October 2016 when Jeff Siegfried, Omni Cable’s CEO, attended Mercy’s Forging Futures fall fundraiser and was impressed with what the graphic design students were learning. Soon after the fundraiser, Siegfried contacted Tees to propose the project. Mercy’s graphic design students worked on their designs with the help of Omni Cable’s Marketing Team, during the school’s third quarter (February to May).
“The students’ final logos are very impressive and there were so many great designs to choose from that we needed the help of our entire company to select the winner,” said Courtney Serio, Omni Cable’s corporate communications manager. The students also had the opportunity to present their designs to Omni Cable’s Executive Team in May at the company’s headquarters.
“The partnership with Omni Cable has been beneficia in many ways, including giving our students real-world experience working with a client, presenting ideas in a professional setting and communicating outcomes with executives. We are deeply grateful to Omni Cable for giving our students an experience they will never forget,” said Tees.
In other company news, Omni Cable announced the hiring of Tony Aimi as the northwest and northern California regional manager. In this role, Aimi is dedicated to managing and growing the region.
An industry veteran, Aimi brings with him more than 30 years of experience. Prior to Omni Cable, Aimi was the western regional vice president at Thomas and Betts. Aimi received a bachelor of arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
For more information, visit omnicable.com.
Legrand Lighting Control Systems Now Work with Google Assistant
Legrand, of Middletown, Pennsylvania, recently announced that its radiant Radio Frequency (RF) Lighting Control and adorne Wi-Fi Ready Lighting systems now work with the Google Assistant for seamless voice control.
Owners of these systems can now power and dim lights through devices enabled by the Google Assistant, such as Google Home, simply by saying phrases like, “Google, turn on the porch light” or “Google, dim the living room to 50 percent.” They no longer need to reach for their phone, tablet or light switch.
The development of the lighting systems’ compatibility with the Google Assistant comes on the heels of Legrand’s recent launch of its Eliot program in North America. Eliot is a global Legrand Internet of Things (IoT) program that brings together Legrand’s worldwide expertise to advance connectivity and intelligence in the built environment, mobilize Legrand’s capabilities around the world, speed development of Legrand connected devices and amplify communications wherever the IoT can enhance value for all users.
The integration of the Google Assistant into the lighting systems is powered by Samsung ARTIK Cloud and requires a Legrand LC7001 Whole House Lighting Controller and an integrated Samsung ARTIK Cloud account. To connect with the Google Assistant, users need to tap on ARTIK Cloud from the “Home Control” menu in the Google Home app and follow the step-by-step directions.
The radiant RF Lighting Control and adorne Wi-Fi Ready Lighting systems are comprised of an array of wall-mounted dimmers and switches, scene controllers and plug-in modules for dimmable lamps and small appliances. The adorne system also features Wi-Fi-ready components. The dimmers for each system, which employ Legrand’s patented Tru-Universal technology, are unique in that they can be used with all lighting and load types, including LEDs, incandescent, halogen and others.
The LC7001 Whole House Lighting Controller enables users to turn lights off and on, immediately or on a schedule, from their smartphone, tablet or Apple Watch, in addition to Google Home. The app offers simple convenience that homeowners will appreciate, including individual light naming and the ability to schedule individual lights or scenes by time of day.
For more information, visit legrand.us.
Littelfuse Named One of the Best Places to Work in Illinois
Littelfuse Inc., of Chicago, has been named as one of the 2017 “Best Places to Work in Illinois” in the large employer category. This is the sixth consecutive year the company has been recognized by this awards program. “Littelfuse is proud to be honored for its ongoing efforts to be an employer of choice,” said Dave Heinzmann, president and CEO of Littelfuse. “I attribute this recognition to the commitment and dedication of our associates and thank them for their ongoing efforts to make our company a great place to work.”
The awards program is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC), the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group.
The statewide survey and awards program identifies, recognizes and honors the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state’s economy, workforce and businesses. The Best Places to Work in Illinois ranking is determined by a two-part process. The first part consists of evaluating workplace policies, practices and demographics, worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation.
The second part consists of an employee survey to measure the employee experience, worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The process is managed by Best Companies Group, which establishes programs to recognize companies with a superior workplace. The organization analyzes and evaluates the data to determine the final rankings.
For more information, visit littelfuse.com.
NSI Hires Sales Manager Graphic Designer
NSi Industries LLC, of Huntersville, North Carolina, recently hired industry veteran Michael Martin as the southwest regional sales manager and recent college graduate Cara Bailie as graphic designer.
Martin comes to NSi Industries with more than 30 years of electrical industry experience in sales with manufacturing and distribution.
When asked about his decision to join the NSi sales team, Martin said, “I’m very excited about joining my new colleagues at NSi, a talented organization in the electrical industry that is extremely service oriented, providing premium products to the electrical contractor and distributor.”
According to Nelson Petzold, western region vice president, “Mike brings to NSi a broad and powerful background in sales management, both in the distribution segment, as well as in the OEM market. Mike’s passion for the business guarantees a high level of excellence with both our distributor partners and our rep agencies.” Martin will report directly to Petzold and will be responsible for Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, the southern tip of Nevada and southern California.
Bailie comes to NSi Industries as a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications, visual communications and a year of graphic design experience at Your Marketing Co.
When asked about her decision to join the NSi marketing team, Bailie said, “For me, NSi Industries was a good fit as it had all the qualities I was looking for in a new position. Professional growth and long-term potential were huge factors in deciding my career move and I truly feel that NSi Industries has similar values.”
According to Jenice Bastien, MARCOM manager, “Cara’s passion, eye for detail and design skills make her a great fit for our team. Her willingness to grow in knowledge of the electrical industry and B2B marketing shows she is ready to hit the ground running.” Bailie will report directly to Bastien and will be responsible for updating NSi’s product catalog, designing marketing collateral and assisting with other design projects for the marketing department.
For more information, visit nsiindustries.com.