Sonepar USA (Charleston, SC): Jon Mitchell, president - West Region, will be retiring in June after 50 years in the electrical market. In 1971, Mitchell says he received his first “real paycheck” from AMFAC when he was just 17, working in the warehouse managing electrical and plumbing supplies. In 1986, he and his brother started their own company, Electrical Distributor Inc., which they later sold to QED, now a Sonepar Co.
In 1986, Mitchell joined Codale, where he worked closely with owner, Dale Holt, “a friend and mentor” for 20 years. Mitchell supported Holt in an aggressive plan for growth, eventually leading him to take on a prominent role in the family-owned business as senior VP of sales. When Codale sold to Sonepar in 2012, Mitchell transitioned to the Sonepar team becoming president of Codale, where he helped make sizable acquisitions that expanded Sonepar’s geographical reach and market share throughout the Intermountain West. In 2016, he became president of the West Region where he helped build a group of new business leaders for the company. In recent years, Jon has been very active in helping to improve processes and optimize sales and service to enhance the customer experience, ensuring his region remains on a growth track for the future.
“Jon is a friend, mentor and coach to many of us, and his unmatched energy, passion and competitiveness have helped Sonepar reach new levels of success,” said Rob Taylor, president of Sonepar North America, ion the press release. “The entire Sonepar family deeply appreciates his stewardship and hard work throughout his exemplary career.”
“I am truly energized and excited as I prepare to start what I have always called ‘Day 3’ of my life,” said Mitchell in a statement released to Sonepar associates. “I think about all the leaders who have gone before me as mentors, as well as the customers I had the privilege to work with, who remain great friends today. And I ponder the excitement I felt, just recently, visiting with 16 brand new associates who are just getting started in the greatest business in the world. It has been the hundreds of hard-working associates from across the company and industry that got me up every morning wanting to do great things.”
Mitchell will remain on the Sonepar team through the next few months, until a successor is named.