Zekelman Industries Promotes Heffernan to President, Electrical Business

Zekelman Industries (Chicago, IL)

 Kevin Heffernan has been appointed president of the company’s electrical business effective Jan. 1, 2026. He will be succeeding Jim Hays, who is retiring after 14 years at the company, including the last twelve leading the electrical business.

 Heffernan brings more than 25 years of executive leadership across industrial and commercial markets to his new role where he will oversee strategy and execution across sales, customer service, production planning and supply chain. Heffernan’s immediate priorities include continuing the commercial realignment, strengthening sales and operations integration, elevating the customer experience, and accelerating profitable growth. He joined Zekelman Industries as senior VP-Electrical in Jan. 2025.

 Heffernan’s promotion follows the planned retirement of Hays, who joined the organization in 2011. Under Hays’ guidance, the electrical business grew to be the premier steel conduit and fittings supplier in North America. Hays also served as a leader with multiple industry associations and worked tirelessly to fight against unfairly traded steel conduit products.

Zekelman is a family of operating companies which include Atlas Tube, Picoma, Sharon Tube, Wheatland Tube, Western Tube and Z Modular. With 19 manufacturing locations and 3,200-plus employees across North America, the company promotes itself as the largest independent manufacturer of hollow structural sections (HSS) and steel pipe, and the top producer of electrical conduit and elbows, couplings, and nipples in North America.