Caldwell Hires in Florida, Mexico

Rockford, Illinois-based The Caldwell Group Inc. has recruited to strategic roles in Florida and Mexico. Caldwell has hired from channel partners to position the company for continued growth in these two key marketplaces.

Ben Blasio and Ryan Chambless, both based in central Florida, near Orlando, have joined as an independent sales agency. The agency—Covering Force Sales—will lead a state-wide sales effort to promote the entire range of Caldwell equipment, including custom lifters, rigging gear and other material handling products.

Darrin Noe, director of sales at Caldwell, said: “Ben and Ryan each bring a fresh approach to sales with an emphasis on end user calls to help support our distributors, as well as conducting some of their own marketing efforts based on unrivalled experience of delivering solutions to the point of use in one of our target regions. They may be relatively new to the below-the-hook side of the industry, but they bring with them a ton of experience with welding supply distributors as well as with plasma and other plate cutting.”

Michael Smetz, meanwhile, of RUD-Mexico, will now represent the Caldwell and J.C. Renfroe businesses throughout all of Mexico. Caldwell and the RUD Group already unite their sales and marketing activities in the U.S. and Canada for material handling and lifting devices within a common organization. Clamp manufacturer J.C. Renfroe, a subsidiary of The Caldwell Group, is renowned for meeting ASME BTH (below-the-hook) Design Category C, Service Class 4. Armando Molina will cover the same geography and report directly to Smetz.

Michael Smetz will now represent the Caldwell and J.C. Renfroe businesses throughout all of Mexico.

Noe said: “Beyond servicing existing distributor accounts in Mexico, Michael’s focus will be on connecting us directly with larger industries, especially in and around Monterrey, with steel and automotive plants a primary focus area. This is a perfect example of how Caldwell and RUD can truly partner to provide superior service and product solutions to the market.”

Michael Smetz

He added: “Business is good—in these regions and others. We have started the year well and are buoyed by a strong order backlog. Now the key is to enhance what we already have.”