Rockford, Illinois-based The Caldwell Group Inc. has named Jeff Ferchen, director, business development; and Lisa Sympson, marketing manager.
The appointments chime with wider endeavors to further enhance overall customer experience, which is a focal point for Ferchen especially, who will also oversee inside sales and engineering activities. Sympson, meanwhile, aims to strengthen the company’s marketing efforts to better serve distributor customers and share the story of Caldwell’s lifting solutions with end users. Ferchen brings 24 years of industry experience, including roles at The Crosby Group and Rockford Rigging, while Sympson returns to the material handling industry, having spent 23 years at Grainger Inc., North America’s leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products.
Darrin Noe, director of sales at Caldwell, said: “These appointments show our commitment to continuing to build a quality inside roster to enhance the overall customer experience. We have several things we want to achieve—both short and long term—and to reach those goals, we knew we had to invest in our human resources.”
Doug Stitt, president and CEO at Caldwell, said: “Jeff is a major appointment. He brings extraordinary knowledge of the industry, first-hand experience with the products, and exemplary relationships with our customer base—a combination that will benefit greatly the way we serve distributors and end users. With Lisa—like Jeff—we knew immediately that she would fit into the Caldwell culture and brought the right skill-set, attitude, and work ethic to help us get to the next level. Her broad and diverse marketing background is going to help us grow by creating better web experiences, stronger new product introductions, and better product information.”
Caldwell, which provides equipment on the Grainger platform and via a global network of distributors, is a manufacturer of standard and custom lifters, rigging gear, and other material handling products. It recently completed an overhaul of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, with a primary focus on inventory management. A multifaceted business, Caldwell and the RUD Group unite their sales and marketing activities in the U.S. and Canada for material handling and lifting devices within a common organization; and clamp manufacturer J.C. Renfroe is a thriving subsidiary.
Unique perspective
Sympson said: “It is exciting to work for an industry pioneer that is strong and growing. Having been on the distributor side of the industry previously, it is going to be interesting to offer my insight to a manufacturer and learn about a different level of the supply chain, creating the assets I know distributors want and need. I am looking forward to assisting customers in finding the best solutions—to help them complete projects on time, on budget, with reliable, top-quality solutions. We will further improve communication to clients about new products and their capabilities, bolstered by an enhanced online presence over time.”
Sympson will be present at the upcoming Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) event and Product Information Exhibition (PIE), which takes place at the Marriott Marquis Houston on April 24-27, and will be responsible for creation of the Caldwell trade show experience at future expos. “Caldwell is about relationships,” she said. “Events give us the opportunity to talk to our partners and learn first-hand what they love, what they need, and how we can make their lives easier. I want to hear people’s stories.”
Noe added: “We still have a number of positions currently open—production personnel, administrative help, and outside salespeople—for which we’re actively seeking candidates.”