Westley Howard Joins IDEAL as Hand Tools Product Manager
Sycamore, IL, March 28: IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. a worldwide leader in tools and supplies for professional electricians, announced today the appointment of Westley W. Howard as Product Manager for its fast-growing hand tool line. With more than a decade of experience working for such companies as Lutron, Western Forge and Supra Products, Mr. Howard brings excellent marketing, technology and channel management leadership to IDEAL. He will report to Business Unit Manager Bruce Hartranft.
"West joins IDEAL at an exciting time in the evolution of our hand tool line, as we continue to break new ground with products such as our Twist-a-Nut screwdrivers and Kinetic wire strippers," said Hartranft. "His deep understanding of the market will ensure IDEAL is well positioned to continue to experience aggressive growth while delivering truly innovative hand tool designs that meet the needs of the professional contractor."
In his new position, Mr. Howard is responsible for coordinating the accelerated sales efforts for IDEAL hand tools in the North American marketplace. Carrying out the company's dedication to building mutually beneficial partnerships with its distributors and retailers, Griffin will focus on managing the sales effort as well as providing direction and training on new products. He will additionally direct new promotional methods to target opportunities for maximizing brand recognition and market penetration.
Mr. Howard joins IDEAL from Lutron Electronics, where he served as Retail Marketing Leader for the past two years. In this role, he was an integral part of developing and implementing multi-channel strategies to launch Lutron-brand lighting control systems. Prior to Lutron, he gained product management experience at Western Forge as a National Accounts/Product Development Manager, and at Supra Products where he managed retail accounts such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace and Menards.
Mr. Howard graduated from Utah State University with a B.S. in Finance. This training is augmented with two years training in electronics. He is also a Journeyman Machinist, giving him expertise in engineering prints, manufacturing processes and the properties of a variety of manufacturing materials.
For information on IDEAL products, contact IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC., Becker Place, Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Or phone 1-800-947-3614, Fax: 1-800-533-4483. On the web, www.idealindustries.com.
ABOUT IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. has been serving the electrical industry since 1916. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of professional quality tools and supplies meeting the needs of installation professionals in the construction, maintenance, data communications and original equipment manufacturing industries.
Website: www.idealindustries.com
O'Connell Communications
Dan O'Connell
email: dan@oconnellpr.com
phone: 708-482-0212
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
Bruce Hartranft
email: bruce.hartranft@idealindustries.com
phone: 800-435-0705
