U.S. Electrical Services LLC (USESI, Chester Springs, Pa.): John Reznick has been appointed president, Electrical Wholesalers, Hartford, Conn. In addition to managing Electrical Wholesalers' 22 locations in Connecticut, Reznick will seek to expand into western Massachusetts and eastern New York state. Electrical Wholealers recently entered into an agreement to be purchased by USESI. Carl Brand has been appointed regional president. He will have responsibility for the Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island markets. He has more than 30 years of industry experience and was previously president of Sonepar's NorthEast Electrical/Eagle Electric Supply.
Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.): Dennis Sadlowski has been appointed chief operating officer effective July 1. He will lead the Power Distribution and Controls Division, with the apparatus, controls and residential business units reporting to him. He joined Siemens in July 2000 as vice president and general manager of the electrical apparatus business unit in Norcross, Ga., and he spent the past three years in Germany as the head of the automation and drives sensor business.
NorthEast Electrical Distributors/Eagle Electric Supply, a division of Sonepar (Canton, Mass.): Peter Jacobson has joined the company as vice president of finance. He has more than 20 years of experience in the electrical distribution industry. Shelley Ballarino has been appointed director of marketing.
Philips Lighting Co. (Somerset, N.J.): K.R. (“Kaj”) den Daas has been appointed CEO of Philips Lighting Co. North America. Den Daas will be responsible for lighting operations in the United States and Canada and manufacturing operations in Mexico. He will oversee the manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing of Philips products, as well as lead more than 4,500 employees in Philips factories, warehouses, sales and headquarters locations.
Milbank Manufacturing Co. (Kansas City, Mo.): Bruce Bittner has joined the company as vice president of sales and marketing. Pamela Erickson has been appointed director of marketing. She previously worked for DIT-MCO International, a manufacturer of automatic test equipment. Don Long has been promoted to the newly created position of general manager/commercial pedestals Venture Group. Brad Skinner has been promoted to the newly created position of general manager/Enclosures Venture Group.
Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc. (Little Neck, N.Y.): Matthew Terry has been appointed western regional sales manager for Leviton Integrated Networks and Controls. He will direct sales throughout Leviton's western region, which includes Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. Terry began his career with Leviton in 2003 as a regional sales specialist.
Leviton Voice & Data, a division of Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc. (Little Neck, N.Y.): Gus Nasrallah has been named senior product manager for the Power Solutions group. He will focus on growing the company's UPS, PDU and surge-protection device business. Brian Hansen has been appointed North-Central region specification engineer for the company's Voice and Data division. He will provide technical sales support for the company's line of data communication products.
Acuity Brands Inc. (Atlanta): Crawford Lipsey has been promoted to executive vice president and general manager of the company's Solutions Group. His responsibilities include management of the company's European operations as well as management of the company's Austin, Texas-based Precede service-based business. John T. Hartman will lead the Commercial Group, which includes the Lithonia Lighting, Gotham, Peerless and Hydrel brands. He will have responsibility for product development, market development, supply chain management, sales and marketing.
On-Q/Legrand (Harrisburg, Pa.): Stephen Schoffstall has been named the company's new vice president of marketing. An Internet and e-commerce veteran, Schoffstall joined On-Q/Legrand, then named On-Q Technologies, in 2003 as vice president of business development. Since then, he spearheaded the company's shift to On-Q Home.
NESCO (Canton, Mass.): Anthony J. Scioli has joined the national accounts division of the company as senior account executive. Scioli will be responsible for working with national retail account clients to help design and rollout lighting and electrical solutions. Prior to joining NESCO, Scioli was with Holophane Lighting.
Border States (Fargo N.D.): Matthew Eddleman has been appointed vice president-southwest region. Eddleman joined Border States in June 2005, and has general management responsibilities for the company's southwest region, which includes seven branches in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. He has more than 20 years of electrical-industry experience.
Omni Cable (West Chester, Pa.): Omni Cable has announced several new appointments in its sales and marketing department. Tim Bright has been appointed national account manager for GE Supply accounts. His primary responsibility will be to enhance the GE Supply relationship. James Masters will be the assistant to sales and marketing. He will focus on Omni's commitment to the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and its conferences and programs. Ryan MacDonald joins the sales department in a newly created position as residential product specialist.
Rexel Inc. (Dallas): Mark Duke was recently named director of pricing, a newly created position. His responsibilities now include developing and maintaining competitive pricing strategies for all products sold by Rexel's more than 280 U.S. locations. Duke has worked in four other positions with Rexel over the last nine years.
Cooper Industries Ltd. (Houston): James T. Pendley has been appointed to the newly created position of chief marketing officer. He will be responsible for leading Cooper's corporate and strategic marketing initiatives, including brand management, sales force effectiveness, and customer relationship management and loyalty programs.
Schaedler Yesco (Harrisburg, Pa.): Schaedler Yesco has added new sales staff. John Polites has been named automation engineer and will focus on the HVAC and mechanical contractor markets. Rick Macak has taken the position of outside sales in State College, Pa., and surrounding areas. Alfred Lew has been named datacom specialist. His responsibilities include datacom application/design assistance for industrial, contractor and commercial customers in Pennsylvania's Williamsport and State College areas. James Chambers is now responsible for outside sales in State College and surrounding areas. Thomas Finn has taken the position of outside sales for Williamsport, Pa., and surrounding areas. Tresa Mitzel has been named project coordinator in the construction department. Her responsibilities include job expediting and follow-up for lighting and gear products. Kerry Betz has been named automation engineer for Rockwell Automation Products. Tammy Leber is now commercial market specialist. Her responsibilities include developing and expanding commercial business.
Obituaries
Jack Rittmann, former president of Griffith Electric Supply Co. Inc., Trenton, N.J., died May 26. He was 88 years old.
Rittmann spent his entire career — all 64 years of it — with Griffith Electric Supply. He joined the company's founder, Bill Griffith, as the first employee in 1938, and with the exception of the four years he spent serving in the military during World War II, he stayed with the company until age 85. After Griffith's death, Rittmann became president of the company and helped Griffith's wife, Meta Griffith, continue the business. He was president for many years and was on the board of directors until his retirement in 2003.
Harry E. Branson, founder and chairman of the Threaded Rod Co., Indianapolis, died May 17. He was 79 years old.
Branson started the company in his garage in 1958 in Irvington, Ind. Today his daughter, Rebecca Branson, who is the CEO, runs the company. Branson is also an inductee into the National Industrial Fastener Hall of Fame. He served as a liaison committee member for the Specialty Tool and Fasteners Distributors Association. He is survived by his daughters Jill A. George, Rebecca C. Branson and Amie S. Damonte; his son, Kurt J. Branson; and four grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Church of the Savior United Methodist Church, 6205 Rucker Road, Indianapolis, IN 46220.