People in the News

Bradley Corp., announces the appointment of Mark Whittington to Vice President – Business Development for the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, restroom accessories and emergency equipment for 100 years.

Whittington will join Bradley’s leadership team and in his role be responsible for growing Bradley’s plumbing products business. He has held various sales, operations and supply chain leadership positions in the plumbing industry for 20-plus years, most notably with Elkay Manufacturing as Executive VP- Plumbing.

“Mark possesses extensive knowledge of the Plumbing Wholesale industry, knows many of our sales representative agencies and the leading wholesaler customers,” says Luis de Leon, Chief Operating Officer, Bradley Corp. “We are excited that he has joined Bradley’s leadership team and is already making a positive impact on our business.”

Courageous creator and unwavering visionary, REHAU mourns the loss of company founder Helmut Wagner.

REHAU is mourning the loss of company founder and honorary president Helmut Wagner. He passed away last Sunday at the age of 95 in Switzerland surrounded by his family. The news of the death of the popular founding father, who was highly committed to the end, has moved REHAU employees around the globe.

“The great sympathy for the passing of our father comes from many regions of the world. We are very touched by this as a family,” says Jobst Wagner, president of the REHAU supervisory board. “It shows the great the legacy that Helmut Wagner has left behind as one of the pioneers of modern industry, a courageous creator and unwavering visionary. We will honour the memory of Helmut Wagner by resolutely continuing his impressive work. His entrepreneurial spirit will continue to guide us,” says Wagner.

 Helmut Wagner has been shaping the world of plastics since 1948 and has thus given important stimuli to an entire industry. His founding of the company in the city of Rehau, Upper Franconia, Germany, marked the beginning of polymer product manufacturing and the success story of a family-owned company that is still strongly characterized by the pioneering spirit of its founder.

After five decades of successful development, Helmut Wagner handed over the management of the corporation to his sons in 2000: Jobst Wagner became chairman of the supervisory board and Dr. Veit Wagner became vice chairman. The third generation is already active in shaping the family business. In 2015, Rehau city council paid a special tribute to the founder of REHAU: Helmut Wagner was appointed the first honorary citizen since the end of the Second World War.

 Today, REHAU is an independent, privately held company with 20,000 employees at more than 170 locations worldwide. “We owe this in particular to the vision and courage of Helmut Wagner,” says William Christensen, CEO of the REHAU Group. “In deep mourning and sincere gratitude for the achievements of our founder, the REHAU family is especially united in these days,” Christensen said.

Board members approved, outstanding contributions recognized, and no dues increase for 2021

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) announced the election of Todd Teter as president of the 2021 PMI Board of Directors during PMI’s 66^th Annual Meeting of the Membership yesterday. The senior vice president and general manager of the House of Rohl North America, a division of Moen Inc., Teter succeeds Joel Smith, the director of faucets product engineering at Kohler Co.

In his acceptance remarks, Teter outlined three goals for the coming year: accelerating PMI member value, increasing engagement and leveraging diversity, and exploring the art of the possible. He encouraged PMI members to be bold and courageous during these difficult times and thanked Smith for his contribution as the 2020 PMI board president. Relating the expectations of medical experts, Teter said a COVID-19 vaccine will make the 67^th Annual Meeting of the Membership an event members and guests will be able to attend in person, as part of the PMI21 Manufacturing Success Conference at Paradise Point in San Diego, Nov. 15-18, 2021.

Other members of the 2021 board will be Smith, immediate past president; Martin Knieps, Viega LLC, vice president; Sal Gattone, LIXIL, secretary/treasurer; and at-large directors Daniel Gleiberman, Sloan Valve Co.; Fernando Fernandez, TOTO USA; Bob Neff, Delta Faucet Company; and Chip Way, Lavelle Industries.

Other highlights of the virtual meeting:

• PMI members voted to approve the board’s recommendation to have no dues increase in 2021, in an acknowledgment of the difficult business environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Smith recognized Jerry Desmond, PMI’s California government affairs consultant, with the 2020 PMI President’s Award.
• Receiving 2020 PMI Ambassador Awards were Troy Benavidez, LIXIL, co-chair of the PMI Advocacy/Government Affairs Committee, and John Bertrand, formerly of Moen, Inc.

In remarks summing up 2020, Smith said his tenure as board president was more “exciting and complex than I ever imagined.” He called PMI a “healthy, dynamic and forward-looking organization” and thanked those who shared their time, despite having to deal with challenges posed by the pandemic.

In his state of the association address, PMI CEO/Executive Director Kerry Stackpole contrasted the highs of the bullish pre-COVID-19 economy with the lows of the pandemic. Still, he said, PMI and its members rose to the occasion by achieving essential business designations in the United States, Canada and Mexico; developing and participating in virtual professional development offerings; and contributing to pandemic relief by keeping water flowing and manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) and innovative products, such as touchless fixtures that aid infection control.

In alignment with its strategic focus on enhancing customer experiences and differentiating through innovation, Uponor North America (Uponor) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brett Boyum to the position of Vice President of Marketing & Offerings and a member of the company’s Senior Management Committee.

In this critical role, Boyum will focus on growing business by accelerating the innovation pipeline, managing the product portfolio, connecting the technical aspects of solutions to the needs of Uponor’s customers, and building stronger connections between company strategies and customer experiences.

“We believe Brett is a great fit for Uponor, as he will help move our company into the future,” said Bill Gray, President, Uponor North America. “Specifically, we were impressed with his range of expertise in creating differentiated solutions to solve customer challenges; a passion for developing strategic portfolio growth opportunities; and an ability to deliver award-winning digital and analog engagement marketing strategies.”

Boyum most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Cambria, a leading quartz brand in the surfaces industry. Previously, he worked more than 17 years at Marvin Windows in marketing roles of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as Vice President, Brand Strategy and User Experience. He also owned a marketing consultancy and worked early in his career at both Recovery Engineering, Inc. (PUR brand) and Northern Hydraulics, Inc.

He earned an MBA from Walden University in Minneapolis, an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, and completed marketing-focused executive development programs at both the University of Minnesota and Columbia Business School.