Taking GF Building Flow Solutions Americas to the Next LevelContinued Leadership GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, the manufacturer of Uponor branded products, has announced John Reutter as President. John joined the organization in 2018 as vice president of Finance and has been an instrumental leader over the past seven years. He will continue to be Read more
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GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, the manufacturer of Uponor branded products, has announced John Reutter as President. John joined the organization in 2018 as vice president of Finance and has been an instrumental leader over the past seven years. He will continue to be based out of the North America headquarters in Apple Valley, Minn., and will report to Michael Rauterkus, president and CEO of GF Building Flow Solutions.
In his role as President, John Reutter will lead the growth strategies for the Americas business with a focus on delivering locally driven solutions, expanding into emerging markets, and ensuring alignment with the company’s global objectives. He’ll oversee day-to-day operations and business performance while fostering strong collaboration between regional teams and global counterparts.
Taking GF Building Flow Solutions Americas to the Next Level
“I am thrilled to see John Reutter step into the role as President of the Americas division,” says Rauterkus. “John has been a proven leader from day one, fostering a collaborative yet high-performing environment. Under John’s leadership, we are well positioned to maintain strong customer relationships while taking the business to the next level.”
John brings extensive experience into this role. Prior to joining GF, he held several management positions at Ecolab, most recently Vice President of Finance, Global Healthcare. Additionally, John brings experience from the professional services industry, having worked at Deloitte.
“It’s an honor to take on this role and the opportunities that lie ahead for GF Building Flow Solutions Americas,” says Reutter. “I’m grateful to be surrounded by a team that is committed to growth and delivering strong customer outcomes. I’m excited to see what we accomplish next.”
Continued Leadership
John Reutter will continue to be a member of GF Building Flow Solutions’ Global Leadership Team and will also lead the Senior Management Committee in the Americas. John will also remain as the interim vice president of Finance until a permanent vice president is named.
For information about John Reutter, GF and Uponor products and services, visit uponor.com.
For recent news on GF, https://mechanical-hub.com/gf-building-flow-solutions-americas-wins/
Kevin Wheeler RoleStephen Shafer RoleExperience The A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) Board of Directors announced that Kevin Wheeler will transition from chairman and chief executive officer to executive chairman of the corporation, effective July 1, 2025. At that time, Stephen Shafer will be appointed to the Board of Directors and will assume the role Read more
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The A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) Board of Directors announced that Kevin Wheeler will transition from chairman and chief executive officer to executive chairman of the corporation, effective July 1, 2025. At that time, Stephen Shafer will be appointed to the Board of Directors and will assume the role of president and chief executive officer.
Kevin Wheeler Role
As executive chairman, Wheeler will continue to lead the company’s Board of Directors and remain actively involved in strategic development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and executive talent development.
Stephen Shafer Role
Shafer becomes the 11th chief executive officer in the company’s 151-year history. He will have responsibility for the company’s global operations, as well as strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder return. Shafer joined A. O. Smith as president and chief operating officer in March 2024 to lead the company’s global business units, including operations, supply chain, corporate technology and information technology.
“Steve’s broad business experience, coupled with his strategic business acumen, uniquely positions him to guide A. O. Smith as the company continues its journey as a global water technology leader,” said Wheeler. “For the past year, Steve has collaborated closely with me and other business leaders to understand our business and identify opportunities to drive enhanced performance and continued growth in both sales and profitability.”
“A. O. Smith experienced significant progress and profitable growth under Kevin’s leadership,” said lead director Ron Brown. “During his tenure, the company acquired Giant Factories, a Canadian water heater manufacturer, as well as six water treatment companies, including one in India. As chairman, president and chief executive officer during the global COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin led the company through an unprecedented period, maintaining business continuity while prioritizing the health and safety of employees.”
Experience
Wheeler joined A. O. Smith in 1994 as a regional sales manager for the former Water Products Company. Over the course of his 31-year career with A. O. Smith, he has held numerous senior leadership roles, including vice president – international, overseeing all European and Asian water heating operations; senior vice president and general manager of the U.S. retail water heater business; and senior vice president and president for the North America, India and Europe water heating businesses.
Prior to becoming chairman and chief executive officer, Wheeler was chairman, president and chief executive officer from April 2020 to March 2024, and was president and chief executive officer from September 2018 to April 2020. He was named president and chief operating officer in June 2017 and elected to the A. O. Smith Board of Directors in July 2017.
Before A. O. Smith, Shafer worked at 3M Company from 2010-2024 and held several positions with increasing levels of responsibility in multiple business units in the U.S. and China. His most recent role at 3M was president of the Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division. Prior to 3M, he worked for McKinsey & Company and Ford Motor Company, holding various roles focusing on manufacturing, supply chain and operational improvement.
He is a member of the Executive Advisory Board for WorkBoard Inc., a former board member of Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce and served as a Big Brother Big Sister mentor.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to step into the role of chief executive officer and lead this great company and exceptional team,” said Shafer. “I look forward to continuing to build on the solid foundation at A. O. Smith and deliver outstanding value to our shareholders, employees and customers.”
“The board is extremely pleased with how well Kevin and Steve have worked together to make this a smooth transition,” said Brown. “As a board, we look forward to continuing to support both of them in creating additional value for our shareholders.”
For more on A.O. Smith, https://mechanical-hub.com/a-o-smith-celebrates-product-development-center-grand-opening/
NIBCO INC., a leading provider of flow control solutions, today announced its Board of Directors has promoted Ashley Martin to president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Martin joined NIBCO in 2012 and has most recently served as president and chief operating officer since 2023. Before that, she held the position of executive vice president Read more
NIBCO INC., a leading provider of flow control solutions, today announced its Board of Directors has promoted Ashley Martin to president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.
Martin joined NIBCO in 2012 and has most recently served as president and chief operating officer since 2023. Before that, she held the position of executive vice president from 2021. She represents the fifth generation of family leadership since the company’s inception in 1904.
In this role, she will now oversee the overall vision, mission, strategy and performance of the company.
NIBCO Board of Directors has also announced that Steve Malm has been appointed as the new executive chairman.
“We are thrilled to have Ashley step into the chief executive officer position at NIBCO,” said Steve Malm, NIBCO executive chairman. “Ashley is a proven leader who has demonstrated her ability to lead the organization through challenging times while successfully pursuing growth and driving continuous improvement efforts throughout the company. She is ideally suited to drive the company forward, while remaining committed to the core values which have guided NIBCO’s success over the past 120 years.”
“These are exciting times at NIBCO, as we celebrate our 120th year of being in business,” said Ashley Martin, president and chief executive officer. “Fewer than one percent of companies make it to the fifth generation, so I am especially honored to take on this role and lead the company with excellence and integrity, as well as uphold our legacy of family ownership and stewardship. I’d also like to recognize and thank Steve for his leadership and impact on the organization over the past 25 years.”
Leading customer service training company positions itself for future growth with new leadership position With a focus on continuing the growth of the business, Garside brings a wealth of experience to the executive position. “Zac has been an asset to the company since he joined the team,” said Brigham Dickinson, Founder and President of Power Read more
Leading customer service training company positions itself for future growth with new leadership position
With a focus on continuing the growth of the business, Garside brings a wealth of experience to the executive position.
“Zac has been an asset to the company since he joined the team,” said Brigham Dickinson, Founder and President of Power Selling Pros. “Good home service companies are constantly busy, so they don’t have much time to focus on ways to improve company culture or the customer experience. Zac has been at the forefront of helping these companies learn how to grow their business with an enhanced company culture and a better customer experience since 2015.”
“Zac is now in a position of leadership at Power Selling Pros that will enable contractors and their teams to focus more on people and service skills using our trademarked Pattern for Excellence and the principles found therein. Zac is the perfect person to drive the direction of this company moving forward.”
Power Selling Pros has named tenured marketing specialist Zac Garside, pictured, as its new CEO.
Garside graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He joined Power Selling Pros in 2015 as a customer service coach and has held various positions since then including business developer, trainer, sales manager and head of marketing.
With a strong dedication to helping home service businesses grow through personalized coaching and group training, Garside is also the host of “This Call May Be Recorded.” The popular YouTube show is where Garside listens to recorded customer service phone calls and coaches them up live.
“At Power Selling Pros, we have been creating positive change for contractors for almost 15 years now – teaching them and their teams a proven set of customer service and communication skills utilized by literally thousands of growing companies in our industry.” Garside said. “I am grateful for the trust that Brigham has placed in me to take the lead of what Power Selling Pros has become from scratch under his stewardship and continue to grow it by building our people internally as well as the many companies we serve in this industry.”
“A long time ago, Brigham heard Zig Ziglar say that you can have anything you want in life as long as you help other people get what they want. In other words, personal and business success comes from the extent to which you serve others. Our intent is to help more contractors see that customers no longer compare you to your direct competition. They now compare you to everyone they buy from! The new standard for customer service is to create a ’WOW’ experience every single time, and we’re going to arm contractors everywhere with the confidence, self-reliance and service mindedness they need to create that kind of experience in every employee and client interaction.”
As CEO of Power Selling Pros, Garside is looking to evolve services by making the voices of their clients and partners the driving force behind the company.
“In my new executive role, I want to utilize all the tools at my disposal to grow the company,” Garside said. “I will ask for help and recognize the strength and expertise of the great people in our industry while owning my mistakes. Knowledge is power, and I will accept feedback from industry professionals that understand the goals of Power Selling Pros.”
For more information about Power Selling Pros, visit https://powersellingpros.com/.
The Taco Family of Companies Executive Chairman and owner John Hazen White, Jr. has announced the promotion of Cheryl Merchant to Chief Executive Officer of the 100-year old, third generation family-owned company. Merchant, who joined Taco in 2019, was previously President of Global Operations. “During her time at Taco, Cheryl has proven herself a capable Read more
The Taco Family of Companies Executive Chairman and owner John Hazen White, Jr. has announced the promotion of Cheryl Merchant to Chief Executive Officer of the 100-year old, third generation family-owned company. Merchant, who joined Taco in 2019, was previously President of Global Operations.
“During her time at Taco, Cheryl has proven herself a capable and talented leader. I feel confident that our company will continue to move in a positive direction under her leadership. This promotion demonstrates the full confidence and trust that the White family has in her,” said White.
White added, “I will remain actively involved in the company. This executive transition will allow me to focus on global growth of the company as well as continue to nurture and strengthen the crucial relationships we have with our employees, reps, suppliers, customers, and the communities where we work.”
Prior to joining Taco, Merchant spent the last 19 years as the President and CEO of Hope Global Industries, based in Cumberland, Rhode Island.