Regional Manager Positions Created to Better Serve Customers.
W&O, the United States’ largest supplier of marine valves, pipe, fittings, engineered products, valve automation and data management systems, announced today that it has transformed its corporate structure to better serve its customers and foster continued growth at its North American and European operations. The company has created six regional management positions for a more strategic approach to the marketplace. These positions will provide more direct senior-level leadership in working with its customer base and local management teams.
“Due to growth W&O has experienced and the continued expansion we have projected for the future, we saw the need to create regional management positions that focus on the overall internal and external needs at our branches,” said Michael Hume, President and CEO of W&O. “To fulfill these roles, we’ve identified individuals who have industry and W&O experience, and have a deep understanding of our customer base. Their knowledge of the markets they represent at the regional level will foster a higher level of customer service and active involvement with their markets.”
The following individuals have been appointed to these positions.
Scott leads the Linden, N.J. and Philadelphia, Pa. branches, which service the entire New England and northern Midwest regions, extending from Nova Scotia to the Great Lakes to Baltimore. Having started his career as an officer on commercial vessels, Scott has been with W&O for more than 15 years, all of which have been spent servicing the northeastern region. Scott is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.
Carl Herman will lead the Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; and Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa, Fla. branches. Carl has been with W&O for more than 20 years, most recently as Director of Materials Management, and has worked in nearly every function within W&O.
Debbie Garner will lead W&O’s Gulf branches, which include Houston, Texas; Mobile, Ala.; and Houma and New Orleans, La. Debbie has been overseeing W&O’s New Orleans and Mobile branches for nearly a decade and recently took over the Houston branch as well. In 2008, Debbie opened the Houma branch to serve W&O’s growing customer base in southern Louisiana and is now overseeing all Gulf of Mexico branch operations for W&O. Debbie started her career on the shipyard side of the business and has been with W&O for 20 years.
Jim Reynolds has been with Valve Automation and Controls (VAC) in San Diego, Calif., since 1993. VAC was acquired by W&O in 2000. Jim now serves as President & CEO of VAC as well as Pacific Southwest Regional Manager, overseeing both VAC and W&O’s Long Beach, Calif. branch. During his tenure with W&O and VAC, Jim has been instrumental in introducing successful valve automation packages to commercial marine, naval and wastewater projects throughout the region.
Bruce McLachlin oversees W&O’s Pacific Northwest branches, which include Seattle, Wash., and Vancouver, British Columbia, that service from Alaska to Alameda, Calif., and around the Pacific Rim. Having been with W&O for the past five years, Bruce served as Branch Manager of Seattle before opening the Vancouver branch in 2010. Revenues from the Pacific Northwest sales territory have consistently grown year-over-year under Bruce’s leadership. Bruce joined W&O from a hands on family business and has transitioned to the marine business seamlessly.
Kristof Adam, who joined W&O in March of this year, oversees W&O’s European branches in Antwerp, Belgium and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Kristof came to W&O from Hydrex/Ecospeed, where he spent nine years developing and implementing their global strategy as COO to the founder. Kristof has strong ties to the maritime community in Europe and will take his aggressive approach in expanding W&O’s successes.
