Every weekday in December, tED magazine is counting down the Top 20 Stories of 2016. Below, the #13 most-viewed story of the year, originally published on March 3, 2016.
CARROLLTON, Ga.—On March 2, Southwire announced that the company’s President of North America, Jack Carlson, has decided to retire. Carlson will serve in an advisory role to Southwire’s leadership team until May 31, 2016.
Carlson began his career at Southwire in 2001 after more than 20 years of industry experience with leading companies such as Square D and Yale Security Group. Since that time, his influence and focus on innovation and growth have created a substantial impact on Southwire’s approach to developing customer solutions.
“It has been a remarkable experience to work with Southwire, and I am extremely proud of the accomplishments we’ve been able to share over the last 15 years,” said Carlson. “We’ve built incredibly strong relationships with our distributors, agents and contractors and innovated safe and productive solutions that have positively changed the way our end users do business for the long term.”
Carlson joined Southwire as president of the Electrical Division and was later promoted to president of North America. He served as a leader in all areas of the business including sales, marketing, product development, divisional growth and research, and his experience in the wire and cable industry sparked the innovation of creative and unique processes and products that benefit both the company and the end user.
“I was fortunate to know of Jack prior to joining the team at Southwire and have had the great opportunity to personally work closely with him as I’ve begun my career with the organization,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire president and CEO. “His focus on meeting the needs of the customer, his innovative spirit and his impact on the market have been key influences that will continue, both inside and outside the walls of Southwire, long after his retirement.”
As the company positions itself to best serve the needs of its customers, Southwire has reorganized into business groups based on its approach to the market. Norman Adkins has been promoted to president of the Construction Systems and Solutions Group, and Charlie Murrah has been promoted to president of the Power Systems and Solutions Group.
Adkins, who previously served as president of Southwire’s electrical business, holds 18 years of experience with the company and has served in various roles including international manufacturing and business development, energy sales and also served as president of the company’s OEM business. Murrah, a more than 30-year veteran of the company, served most recently as president of the company’s energy business. Throughout his career, Murrah has held numerous responsibilities in areas including the company’s engineering, manufacturing and supply chain functions.
Hans Meiring, executive vice president of operations and international, will continue to lead the company’s efforts as it builds world-class manufacturing capabilities and extends its international presence, and Guyton Cochran, chief financial officer, will ensure the company remains a good steward of its financial resources. As general counsel, Burt Fealing will continue to ensure Southwire’s business operations meet its legal and ethical principles, and Kathleen Edge, executive vice president of human resources, will lead the growth of the company’s organizational capabilities.
“As we move forward as a company, it is vital that we align our organization to best serve our customers,” said Stinson. “With these groups, we will build upon our current strengths and provide ourselves with expanded opportunities to execute upon our company’s key strategic initiatives. Through this new structure, I believe we have the right organizational support and talent in place to move Southwire toward continued success in the future.”
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