Many organizations honored achievement and recognized new talent with hirings and promotions throughout the month of September.
Truck, trailer, and body OEMs
Curry Supply has hired Brooke Jones as the company’s human resource manager. In her new role, Jones will oversee every employee’s life cycle, from onboarding to the ending of employment, and ensure that each understands their role. Jones has worked in human resources since 2017 and initially joined Curry Supply in 2023. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in human resource management from Saint Francis University.
Suppliers and distributors
Jeremy Kahrs has accepted a promotion from Yokohama Tire Corporation appointing him to the position of vice president of research and development for the Yokohama Development Center America (YDCA) in Cornelius, North Carolina. Kahrs previously served as the YDCA’s senior director of R&D and will now take over all of the facility’s daily operations. Kahrs will report directly to Jeff Barna, president and CEO, in the course of his new duties.
High Bar Brands recently hired David Coyle, Matthew Hull, and Garry Fournier as the company’s newest territory managers. All have many years of sales experience which will be brought to bear, with Coyle managing the Northwest, Hull the Southwest, and Fournier Western Canada. Coyle will primarily be working within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Alaska and has 15 years of sales experience in the Pacific Northwest. Hull previously worked in the warehouse industry before transitioning to parts counter sales and outside sales, and his territory will include California, Nevada, and Arizona. Fournier currently lives in the Calgary area and will serve Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.
Manufacturers
Torc Robotics has hired Sheila Scanlon as the company’s new vice president of product management. Her new responsibilities will include leading product planning and prioritization in alignment with engineering, as well as cultivating a data-driven mindset alongside Torc leadership. Scanlon has worked in the self-driving and automotive segment since 2015, when she worked as the director of product management and business development at Aptiv. She later became a senior director at HERE Technologies and most recently served as the head of product at RRAI.
The REV Group has appointed Maureen O’Connell as an independent member of the company’s Board of Directors. O’Connell will succeed Justin Fish and sit on the Nomination and Governance Committee. O’Connell also currently serves as a board member and audit chair for Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT, HH Global, Acacia Research, and is a board member for Arix Bioscience plc. Prior to her appointment, she worked as the VP and chief financial officer of Scholastic Corp., served as the president and COO at Gartner, and was the COO of Barnes & Noble.
Services
Phillips Connect has hired Sara Wissmueller as the company’s vice president of information technology. In her new role, Wissmueller will support the company’s current initiatives and align technology with Phillips Connect’s broader business objectives. Prior to her appointment, Wissmueller served as vice president of corporate infrastructure for Verizon Connect and holds a Bachelor’s of business administration in information systems and accounting and a Master’s in business administration.
Obituaries
American Welding Society president Dennis K. Eck recently died. A distinguished AWS member for over 30 years, he served as AWS Houston Section chair from 1989-2021, AWS director at large from 2016-2018, and AWS VP from 2019-2022. Beyond AWS, Eck served the welding supply industry for 41 years and was VP of sales with National Alloy & Equipment. He also served as general sales manager at Linde/Praxair until he retired in 2020, but still maintained his position as president and owner of Diversified Services & Solutions.