Vanguard National Alliance Inc. (Framingham, Va.): The national accounts entity of Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley distributors recently appointed Gary E. DeVost president and chief executive officer. DeVost, a seasoned executive with experience in electrical distribution as well as manufacturer sales within the electrical and automation industry, has held executive level positions at Horizon Solutions, Hubbell and Hoffman. Current president and co-founder David C. Pratt will transition to the role of chief information officer, focusing on further developing VNA’s technology platform, e-commerce initiatives and other strategic projects.
Summit Electric Supply (Albuquerque): Steve Peterson has joined the company’s management team in the newly created position of area sales manager, central Texas. Peterson will be responsible for growing sales and market share with current and potential customers in the Central Texas area. Peterson is a well-known and respected figure within the industry. He began his career in the electrical distribution industry in 1968 and most recently held the position of president/CEO of Minnesota Electric Supply in Willmar, Minn. Victor Jury Jr., Summit’s president and CEO, and Peterson worked together while serving on the board of directors of The IMARK Group.
Border States (Fargo, N.D.): Mike Blanchard has joined Border States as the Arizona sales manager. With more than 25 years of experience in the electrical distribution industry, Blanchard will manage sales in excess of $100 million for Border States’ contractor, industrial, and automation markets in the state of Arizona. Before joining Border States, Blanchard was the vice president of sales for OneSource Distributors and, most recently, the senior vice president for B&K Electric Wholesale.
ProtectConnect (Irvine, Calif.): Stephen P. Anderson has been named chief executive officer for this modular wiring systems device manufacturer. His responsibilities will include oversight of all branding, customer service and product development for the company, plus maximization of resources and development of long-term strategies. He will also work closely with the corporate team and the board of directors. Previously, Anderson served as president and CEO of Enkeboll Designs of Carson, Calif. Before that, he served as president and CEO for Innovative Home Products, a consultant for the private equity firm of William E. Simon, and as president of Stanley Door Systems.
WinWholesale (Dayton, Ohio): Judy Waters has been named credit director for the Dayton-based company. Waters will oversee credit management services for the nearly 560 local Win and Noland locations across the United States. These local companies serve their customers under the Winnelson, Winair, Winlectric, Windustrial, Winsupply, Wintronic, Winwater Works, and Noland brands. Waters joins WinWholesale from McJunkin where she was director of credit and held other accounting and business development positions during her 13 years with the industrial distributor.
Garvin Industries (Franklin Park, Ill.): Melanie Chudzik has been promoted to inside sales assistant for local distribution. Chudzik came to Garvin Industries after five years with Marketing Innovators International of Rosemont, Ill.