Many organizations honored achievement and recognized new talent with hirings and promotions throughout the month of February.
Truck, trailer, and body OEMs
Tim Carpenter has succeeded Dale Jones as president and CEO of Timpte after Jones’ 16 years of service with the company. Jones will remain on the Timpte Board of Directors, continue handing day-to-day management of Thunderstone Manufacturing, and oversee the development of a new Lincoln Manufacturing facility. Before joining Timpte, Carpenter worked at Lincoln Industries as COO and held various leadership roles at Pella Corporation.
Novae has hired Manish Bhandari to succeed Chris Storie as CEO. Bhandari joins Novae from Current, where he served as CEO, prior to which he worked for Emerson Electric for almost two decades. Additionally, Bhandari has worked globally with The Timken Company in the automotive and mobile industrial segment. Chris Storie will still serve as executive vice-chair of the board with his co-founder, Steve Bermes.
Kathleen M. Steele accepted an independent appointment to REV Group’s Board of Directors. Steele will be replacing Donn Viola after his retirement. Currently, she is an advisor to Equity Group Investments, a company which she joined in 2000 and where she most recently served as managing director through June 2023. Steele also serves on the Board of EagleRidge Energy and the investment committee of Pohlad Investment Management.
Great Dane hired William (Bill) Davidson as the company’s next EVP of manufacturing. As part of his new role, Davidson will establish process improvements in the company’s manufacturing plants and oversee lean manufacturing initiatives for sustainable practices. Prior to joining Great Dane, he served as president and CEO of All States Ag Parts and held several manufacturing and supply chain leadership roles at Deere & Co.
Suppliers and distributors
Phillips has hired Brandon Woodard as corporate director of continuous improvement and operational excellence. In his role, Woodard will lead Phillips’ operations initiatives with a focus on global manufacturing efficiencies. Prior to joining Philips, he served in various aftermarket distribution leadership positions at Meritor, and then moved to SAF-HOLLAND as a warehouse manager and eventual director of aftermarket distribution centers. Woodard’s first objective in his new role is streamlining and improving operations at the company’s expanded Mexico campus.
Associations
LeAnna Koerner has been promoted from membership manager to director of membership for the North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA). Koerner’s responsibilities will include managing and expanding NATDA educational programs, and overseeing NATDA’s Dealer Advisory Council and Women in the Trailer Industry Committee, as well as her current work in the management and development of NATDA membership benefits. Koerner joined the NATDA in 2021 and has been pivotal in retaining members and expanding the NATDA Partner Benefit program.
MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association, chose Ana Meuwissen to lead MEMA’s government affairs initiatives and team when Ann Wilson retires at the end of 2024. Meuwissen will joint MEMA in March as SVP of MEMA’s government affairs, while Wilson will take on the role of executive vice president. Prior to joining MEMA, Meuwissen led government affairs at Bosch since 2012, and served as senior policy advisor at Nelson Mullins in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she is a former chair of MEMA’s Government Affairs Committee and the current chair of the Government Affairs Advisory Committee of the MEMA Board of Directors.
Obituaries
Dave Smith, Hunter Engineering’s former SVP, has passed away. Smith, a longtime member of the company, worked for Hunter for nearly 40 years. He first joined the company in 1975 as a business representative for Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina before he was promoted to Cleveland regional manager. Hunter then promoted Smith to vice president of sales and marketing in 1984, and then senior vice president in 2008. He managed Hunter’s field organization throughout North America and provided guidance to Hunter’s marketing department before he retired in 2014.