People and Positions for August 2014

Trailer, truck, & body OEMs

Stellar Industries Inc announced that Michael Butsch will lead the firm’s relationship development with strategic customer segments and key industry organizations and contacts. He will also support all sales efforts across every product line as needed. Butsch comes to Stellar with experience managing and directing fleet operations for almost 20 years. His most recent position was director of global fleet operations for a large mining machinery manufacturer.

DUECO Inc, the provider of Terex Utilities and Terex Hi-Ranger bucket trucks, digger derricks, cranes, and material handlers, has appointed Timothy Urbas design application engineer, supporting customer orders in 17 US states for utility trucks. Urbas will be primarily responsible for the design and engineering of DUECO’s custom truck bodies. He is a recent graduate in mechanical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Switch N Go/AmeriDeck (SNG/AMD) has hired Jim Kraffert as commercial and distributor sales representative. Working out of his home office in Parrish FL, he will cover Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Louisiana, and will make occasional trips to corporate headquarters in Hadley PA. With several years of commercial truck experience, Kraffert worked previously at a SNG/AMD distributor in Florida.

Jeremy Cooler has joined Sika Corporation as business development manager for Target Market Industry–Transportation/A&C group, reporting to Tony Martin, vice-president–Transportation A&C and FFI. Prior to joining Sika, Cooler most recently was a business development manager, employed by Fabrico, a division of Genuine Parts Company.

Karmak Inc has promoted Carl Try to vice-president of development and Adam Madsen to director of product management. Using 20 years of experience in software development including his previous Karmak role as director of development, Try will focus on building established industry best practices into each of Karmak’s solutions. Madsen will be using his 18 years of experience in the heavy-duty industry to focus on making Karmak’s solutions the best choice for meeting demands of running a successful heavy-duty business.

Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, the Heavy Duty division of MEMA, announced that its Heavy Duty Manufacturer’s Representative Council (HDMRC) has elected five new officers and governors to its board of governors. The HDMRC board members begin their terms January 1, 2015 and are: Chairman Stephen Grace, president, Heavy Duty Marketing; Vice-Chairman Paul Birkenstock, president, New Market Sales; Governors Joe Figueroa, president, LASCO; Robert “Bob” Hogue, president, Clark Sales; Tom Kitchin, president, Kitchin & Sons; Dan O’Connell, president, J J O’Connell Company; and Bob Atkinson, president, Atkinson Sales Co. Chairman John Stojak, president, Sherman-Pearson Co, will continue his 2013-14 term until December 2014 and then will serve one year as immediate past chairman.

Americas Commercial Transportation Research Co LLC (ACT) announced that Jim Meil has joined the firm in the position of principal, industry analysis. He previously was vice-president and chief economist with Eaton, a position he held since 1996. He recently retired from Eaton after a 29-year career with the company.