People On the Move - May 17, 2024 Update

Crum Electric Supply (Casper, WY)

After almost 50 years, David H. Crum (in photo with his son, Dave)  is retiring as chairman He established Crum Electric Supply in 1976, and the company grew both organically and through acquisition. Oil, natural gas, coal and other mineral extraction drove early growth for the company.  Fueled by his hunger for growth and diversification, the company grew across the states of Wyoming and Colorado, into Rapid City, SD and the metropolitan markets of Denver, CO and Salt Lake City, UT.
Crum quickly discovered that NAED was a place to learn, gaining a deeper understanding of how to be an electrical distributor and developing partnerships with manufacturers.  He built many lifelong friendships within the industry. Along the way, he was VP of the Western Region followed by NAED Chairman in 1996.  He was also director of the NAED Education Foundation from 1995 – 1997.
Affiliated Distributors was another critical piece of Crum’s growth.  Joining in 1987, AD became an avenue for Crum Electric Supply to join other independents to gain best practices and give the company financial strength to compete with the national chains.  He engaged with the leadership of Affiliated Distributors, serving on the Electrical Division board.
Crum recognized that consistent product information and pricing between distributors and manufacturers was a significant need within the industry.  With the rapid growth in computer and database technology at the time, this was an excellent opportunity for him to give back to the industry that had given him so much. 
He joined together with other distributor and manufacturer leaders to found the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA) and create the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW). The Industry Data Warehouse is actively used today for manufacturer distributor transactions and e-commerce needs. For this, he earned the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Kite & Key Award in 1998. He served as IDEA’s Director from 2005 – 2007. He also served on the supplyFORCE board of directors.
Crum was also awarded the NAED Arthur Hooper Award in 2005 for lifetime achievement within the electrical distribution industry.
Outside of electrical wholesaling, Crum was co-chair of the Wyoming Business Council, served on the University of Wyoming Foundation Board and was named University of Wyoming Distinguished Alumnus in 1999.  He also served 30 years on the First Interstate Bank advisory and legal board of directors from 1987–2017.
Crum is leaving Crum Electric Supply in his son Dave’s hands to continue to service the electrical industry throughout the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
As he moves on to new challenges, his golf game is respectable and there are a lot of rainbow trout to catch.

Flex Wind USA  (Denmark)

Industry veteran Desiree Grace joined the company as general manager. Flex Wind installs and maintains wind turbines all over the world. The company offers solutions for installation, maintenance, blade inspections and repairs, up-tower repairs, supervision, health and safety tasks and gearbox solutions within the wind industry.
Along with her most recent role at Cembree, Grace also held executive posts at Panduit and Eaton. “I am excited to join Flex Wind,” said Grace in the press release. “I appreciate their customer-centric approach  in an industry of vital importance to the world. Renewable energy is our future and Flex Wind is an important part of the wind industry.”

ABB (Atlanta)

With more than 25 years of sales and leadership experience in the electrification industry, Safford Hazen joins ABB Installation Products Division, formerly Thomas & Betts, as senior VP of Sales for the United States and Latin America region.
Hazen joins ABB from Eaton, where he spent his career in sales roles with progressive responsibility. Most recently, he served as VP of Sales for the Global Energy Infrastructure Solutions (GEIS) North America business line. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and engineering from The State University of New York Potsdam. He is based in New York.

OmniCable (West Chester)

Drew Jackson was promoted to St. Louis sales manager. He has more than six years of industry experience, most recently as an account manager for the St. Louis region.
Sterling Lighting (Charlotte, NC): This outdoor lighting fixture manufacturer appointed Tom Fenig as its new head of sales development. Fenig’s career in outdoor lighting began with his founding of the first and largest outdoor lighting franchise system in the United States, which he grew to 79 locations before its successful sale in 2008. He later established Imagine Outdoor Lighting with his family, quickly turning it into a regional benchmark for quality and innovative sales approaches.
This new role at Sterling Lighting marks another significant chapter in Fenig’s professional journey and reunites him with long-time collaborator Patrick Harders.