Kress Commercial announces national, regional sales managers

Charlotte-based Kress Commercial has announced several members of its U.S. team as it prepares to launch commercial-grade, battery-powered outdoor power equipment (OPE) in the North American Dealer Channel.

“As we prepare for our official Kress OPE launch in North America, we have assembled a well-established team of professionals who know and understand the dynamics of the OPE dealer channel,” said David Johnson, executive vice president of Sales. “These industry leaders have earned the trust of America’s dealers over decades of personal interaction. We could not be more excited to have this team of knowledgeable people to lead the launch of the Kress brand in North America.”

John Sloan will serve as Kress’ Director of Dealer Channel Sales, reporting to David Johnson.

As Kress’s director of Dealer Channel Sales, Sloan will lead the sales team and strategies for the Kress dealer network. Formerly, Sloan served as national sales manager for Excel Industries and division manager for Kubota.

Additionally, Kress has hired a team of regional managers who will report to Sloan:

• Tony Cecil, Senior Demonstration Team Manager
• Zach Mersch, Regional Manager Northeast
• Lee Withers, Regional Manager East
• Chris Alexander, Regional Manager Mid-South
• Wes Martin, Regional Manager South Central
• Tom Meier, Regional Manager Midwest
• Christine Chapman, Regional Manager West

Dawn Beaulieu will serve as Kress’s director of Field Sales Operations, reporting to David Johnson. In this role, Beaulieu will be responsible for all aspects of dealer programs, training and field sales team support. Beaulieu has been with CNH America and Kubota with increasing areas of responsibility in support of the OPE dealer channel.

“I have built my career working with companies in this space,” said Beaulieu, “and when I saw the quality of the product and the level of innovation in the Kress Commercial product line, I knew this was a movement I wanted to join. We are bringing truly solutions-driven innovation to the category and I am very excited!”

Other additions to the Kress team:

• Jessica Americano, Dealer Training Manager
• Steve Americano, Senior After Sales Service Manager
• Chad Bishop, Senior Product Manager Commercial Products
• Roger Nice, Director of Credit Services
• Brandon Pope, Senior Program Manager
• Dominic Stamos, Director of Sales for OPE in Industrial Commercial Channels

The Kress Commercial team in Canada includes:

• Steve Saunders, Director of Sales
• David Boyce, Director of Operations
• Jeff Woods, Lead Business Development Manager Central
• Andrew McCorkindale, Business Development Manager Central
• Jason Curcio, Lead Business Development Manager West
• Frank Rempel, Business Development Manager West
• Philip Fitzpatrick, Vice President and General Manager Positec Canada

“You won’t find a more established team in the industry,” said Sloan. “As excitement builds towards our official launch at this year’s Equip Expo (formerly GIE), we are tremendously excited to preview with the nation’s top dealers how Kress will change the industry through new technologies and innovations for landscape professionals. Stay tuned, we’ve only just begun!”