People: April 19, 2013

Summit Electric Supply (Albuquerque, N.M.): Summit Electric Supply has hired Will Gonzalez as international sales director of its Houston, Texas-based international group. The group focuses on international markets and provides complete supply solutions for global projects. Gonzalez will be responsible for expanding Summit’s global presence and growing the company’s footprint in international markets. He will lead the Houston-based international sales team and oversee the Dubai, UAE service center.

Gonzalez has a diverse 20-year background in sales and marketing, including eight years in the wire and cable and lighting control industries. He was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for Southwire Co.’s international division where he drove business development among oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, and utility customers in Latin America and the Middle East. Prior to joining Southwire in 2008, Gonzalez was business and marketing manager for Latin American business operations at Lutron Electronics. He also led marketing initiatives for various sales channels, including electrical distributors, when he served as the company’s channel marketing manager. 

In other news at Summit, Mike Rogers was hired as the new service center leader of the company’s Dallas location. Rogers, formerly V. P.  of Shepherd Electric Supply, has more than 20 years of experience in the electrical distribution industry. He spent 17 years with Graybar and was most recently vice president for Shepherd out of the company’s Sterling, Va., location.

Hubbell Inc. (Orange, Conn.): Joseph Capozzoli has been appointed V.P., controller, effective April 22 and will be responsible for enterprise-wide accounting operations, including internal and external financial reporting, Sarbanes Oxley compliance and financial forecasting. He will report to senior VP. and CFO William Sperry and succeed Darrin Wegman, who is moving into a senior role within one of the company’s operating divisions. Prior to joining Hubbell, Capozzoli spent more than 15 years in leadership positions at major corporations including Stanley Black & Decker and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He holds an MBA in finance from Villanova University and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from LaSalle University.

Ideal Industries (Sycamore, Ill.): Troit Freeland has been appointed vice president of sales for its Networks and Electrical Test & Measurement (T&M) Group in the United States. Freeland will report to Paul Finnie, VP/general manager of Global Networks. The announcement follows the formation of the Ideal Global Networks and T&M Group in January.

National Association of Electrical Distributors (St. Louis): NAED will honor four industry leaders who have made significant contributions to the electrical industry with NAED Annual Achievement Awards. Robert Reynolds, the retired executive chairman of St. Louis-based Graybar, is the recipient of the NAED’s highest honor, the 2013 Arthur W. Hooper Achievement Award. This honor is presented to an individual who has led an exceptional career in electrical distribution spanning many years. Reynolds was with Graybar for 40 years, including nearly 12 years as chairman, president and CEO. Burt Schraga is the CEO and chairman of Bell Electrical Supply, Santa Clara, Calif., and recipient of the 2013 NAED Distributor Distinguished Service Award. The award is given in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to NAED and the electrical distribution industry.

Roger Vaught, vice president of Atkore International, is recipient of the 2013 NAED Associate Service Award. The award is given to an individual at a manufacturing firm who has consistently promoted and supported the tenets and goals of the NAED. Leviton will receive the 2013 NAED Industry Award of Merit. This award is presented in recognition of a company or individual in the electrical manufacturing business that has actively promoted and supported the wholesale electrical distribution industry.

Border States Electric (Fargo, N.D.): Jason Webb has been named branch operations manager for Border States Electric’s (BSE’s) Greeley, Colo., location and Jason Stein is now executive vice president.  Webb most recently was the branch operations manager for BSE’s Tucson location. Webb joined BSE in July, 2004 as a warehouse associate in the company’s Phoenix, Ariz., branch and then moved to the company’s Tucson, Ariz., location and held a variety of positions including driver, warehouse associate, city desk representative, customer service representative and branch operations manager. In Dec. 2005, he was selected to be a part of BSE’s management trainee program.

In other news at BSE,  Jason Stein was  named  executive vice president. Stein joined BSE in May 1995 as a management trainee. He has worked in various positions including product manager, automation account manager, northwest region industrial sales manager and director of sales. In April 2010, he was named V.P. of sales and was appointed to the company’s executive council. Most recently he was the V.P. Northwest region. In addition, he will join the company’s senior leadership team.