Kozak, vice president of sales for the top water and space heating manufacturer, is the fifth Bradford White executive honored with the annual award

Matt Kozak, vice president of sales for Bradford White Water Heaters, a leader in the manufacture of water heating, space heating and storage products, has been named the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Golden Eagle Award by the Association of Independent Manufacturers’ Representatives (AIM/R).

The AIM/R Golden Eagle Award, presented annually at the group’s conference, recognizes senior-level plumbing manufacturing executives who have actively supported independent reps and their important role in the supply chain. Kozak was honored at the 49^th Annual AIM/R Conference, held Sept. 28-Oct. 1 in San Diego.

“AIM/R provides valuable resources on issues like succession planning, sales techniques and running a solid business, all of which are of vital concern to their manufacturer partners,” Kozak said. “The support and tools offered by AIM/R enable reps to improve their business practices and strengthen the partnership and communication between reps and their manufacturers. We are such big believers in the group’s value that Bradford White strongly encourages all of our reps to belong to and be active in AIM/R.”

Kozak is the fifth executive from Bradford White to be selected for the award. Previous Bradford White Golden Eagle Award winners include Bob Carnevale, Nick Giuffre, Bruce Carnevale and Jim McGoldrick.

“Those who have previously been honored with the Golden Eagle Award have set the bar very high,” Kozak said. “Those leaders set the tone for how Bradford White as a company views and treats its reps, and I am pleased to be carrying on that tradition. We continue to only sell through wholesale and we use manufacturers’ reps as a conduit to our wholesale customers and their customers. Our reps are a huge part of who we are. They represent our company, they are our sales force, and they have daily interactions with our customer base, whether it’s with our product line or one of the others they represent. We treat our reps like family because if we do our job and take care of them, they will take care of us.”

Kozak began his career at Burnham Boilers and joined Bradford White in 2007. In 2020, he was promoted to his current position, where he is responsible for all customer-facing sales activities and business development. Kozak leads a team of talented sales professionals who are responsible for selling Bradford White’s products to wholesale and plumbing professionals across the United States and Canada.

For more information about Bradford White Water Heaters, please visit http://www.bradfordwhite.com.

Viega LLC manager Daniel Rademacher has won the PMG Leadership Award from the International Code Council (ICC) for his work in training and educating plumbing professionals around the world.

Rademacher, who is the Trades Education Network (VTEN) Program Manager for Viega, was given the award at the ICC’s annual meeting Sept. 18-28 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The award is given each year to an individual or organization for exceptional service to the plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas and swimming pool/spa (PMG) industry.

“Dan’s passion for providing relevant and engaging learning opportunities so that plumbing professionals can achieve their career goals, no matter where they are located, is unmatched,” the ICC stated.

“I’m humbled to receive this award from the ICC, an institution which has done so much to advance plumbing and promote the well-being of people around the world,” Rademacher said. “And I’m proud to be able to introduce safe plumbing practices where they are needed most.”

Rademacher directs the Viega Trades Education Network, which partners with trade schools to provide tools, lessons and training to help educate future trades professionals.

This is only the latest industry honor for Rademacher. Last year, he was elected vice president of the board of directors of the American Society of Sanitary Engineering – International. In 2019, he won a World Plumbing Council Education and Training Scholarship to travel to Rwanda for the purpose of developing and contributing further plumbing industry knowledge. Also, he was the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Industry Person of the Year in 2014.

He has 30 years of experience in the industry and is an accomplished instructor. He is certified as a plumbing/mechanical inspector and plans examiner by the IAPMO. He has extensive experience using, implementing and interpreting the Uniform Plumbing Code, the Uniform Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code.

Steele is Among Women Around the World to Be Recognized For Entrepreneurship, Career Accomplishments

Jenni Steele, Niagara’s Vice President of Marketing, has been named the winner of a Bronze Stevie® Award in the Female Executive of the Year category in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run – worldwide.  The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.

More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 100 categories. Steele is honored to be recognized for her work at Niagara in marketing products that help solve the global issue of water scarcity. Judges made note of Steele’s career accomplishments, with comments describing her as a purposeful, determined and passionate leader.

Niagara has revolutionized the utility industry with a reputation as the premier resource for conservation. In Steele’s three years, she has restructured her team to efficiently launch several product lines, earn EPA WaterSense awards, garner Greenbuild’s Innovator of the Year, modernize integration, automate marketing activities, while strengthening retailing, client services and events.

“Jenni embodies Niagara’s mission and is unanimously valued by her team for her guidance and creativity,” stated Carl Wehmeyer, CEO of Niagara. “As climate change and record droughts present strain on water supply, Niagara, coupled with Jenni’s expertise, is more determined than ever to bring our solutions and messaging to the marketplace.”

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 business professionals around the world, working on eight juries.

Maggie Gallagher Miller, president of the Stevie Awards, said, “We thought the remarkable stories of achievement we saw in last year’s awards couldn’t be topped, but we were wrong.  Women-owned and -run organizations have contributed significantly to the increase in innovation and entrepreneurial activity we’ve seen globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The nominations submitted to the 18^th Stevie Awards for Women in Business that attest to this are inspiring, humbling, and motivating.  We congratulate all of our Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners.  We look forward to celebrating them during our January 13 virtual ceremony, and to hearing from some of them during our Women|Future Conference.”

The Stevie Awards will stage its fourth annual Women|Future Conference virtually on November 1-5.  Details and registration are available at www.WomenFutureConference.com.

Renee to lead R&D team towards development of innovative technologies, driving market growth 

Rinnai America Corporation, manufacturer of the number-one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America, announced Renee Eddy joined the organization as its Vice President of Innovation. With Renee’s zeal and extensive knowledge in developing new and innovative technologies, Rinnai will continue to expand its portfolio and drive growth in new markets.

“My passion is transforming data and technologies into cool, new products and that passion is sure to come through while at Rinnai,” said Renee. “I look forward to driving development for innovative technology, leading the team towards new idea creation and outside of the box thinking.”

Renee’s passion for creating new technologies began over 35 years ago. Most recently, she was Director of Innovation, Methods and Operations at Eaton, leading up to 200 employees. During her time at Eaton, she created the Innovation, Methods and Operations team from the ground up, developing a strong, collaborative culture within R&D across 26 divisions. Prior to her time at Eaton, Renee developed products across a number of industries for Fortune 100 companies and customers, including residential and commercial HVAC, transport refrigeration, telecommunications and aerospace.

“Renee’s diverse product knowledge in a variety of industries is invaluable for Rinnai,” said Frank Windsor, President, Rinnai America Corporation. “Her vision and expertise will spearhead the development of technologies in new markets, aiding in Rinnai’s growth strategy, as well as producing products that support our commitment to Creating a healthier way of living.”

Rinnai’s expansion goals not only encompass physical growth in North America but market growth, as well. With the addition of Renee to the executive leadership team, Rinnai will continue to drive R&D and push innovation to new heights.

To learn more about Rinnai, visit www.rinnai.us.