People making headlines

  • Briggs Plumbing Products, a CISA Holding company, appointed William Houlin as its president and CEO. He has more than 20 years experience in executive management, marketing and business development with PRG-Shultz, Black & Decker, Polaroid and Gillette.

  • Jacuzzi Bath Division promoted Paul Salyards as its new president. Salyards joined the company in March as vice president of marketing. Beth Somplatsky is the new vice president of marketing. She joins the company from Compass Home.

  • BrassCraft promoted Simon Davis to vice president of BrassCraft and vice president/general manager of Cobra Products. Cobra Products offers drain-cleaning tools and other machines for the DIY and professional markets. Davis had been a principal at Magne-Flo, a manufacturer of gas safety products. The company also appointed Lisa Berry as director of sales administration. She was most recently the company's controller for its Brownstown distribution center (located in Brownstown Township, Mich.).

  • ECR International hired Bob Shea as regional sales manager for the New York City Metro territory. Before joining ECR, Shea served as the director of sales and marketing for General Utilities, a diversified energy and security company providing service in New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Also, the company named Thomas J. Legutko as marketing director. He comes to ECR from Carrier Corp., where he was the chilled water and split system product business manager.

  • John Labellarte was promoted to chief operating officer at Milwaukee Valve. He had been serving as general manager since joining the firm in 1999.

  • Easy Street appointed Margie Williams as vice president of the Flat Rate Software Division, in addition to her duties as marketing director. Jackie Burkhart was appointed director of promotions, public relations and training, in addition to her duties as marketing alliance program administrator.

  • Elkay named Frank Profiti as vice president sales and marketing, Elkay Canada Ltd. Profiti brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the position, and has held senior sales and marketing positions with A.O. Smith, Blanco, Price Pfister and Delta Faucet. He will be responsible for sales of Wessan, Elkay and AMI brand products to the wholesale, retail and boutique channels in Canada.

  • Crane Co. announced the appointment of Curtis Robb to the newly created position of vice president - strategic planning and business development. Robb has over 20 years of experience with acquisitions transactions at HSBC Securities, CCF Charterhouse and J.P. Morgan & Co.