Ron Nash (right) will succeed Ed Metcalf (left) as the president of Laticrete North America.

LATICRETE NORTH AMERCIA ANNOUNCES THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADER

BETHANY, CT -- Laticrete, a leading manufacturer of globally proven construction solutions for the building industry, has embarked on a transformation to allow its next generation of leaders to step up. Ed Metcalf, who has been with the company for more than 35 years and has served as president of Laticrete North America since 2005, will step down and assume the role of special advisor on July 1. Ron Nash, currently senior vice president of sales & marketing North America, will succeed Metcalf as president of Laticrete North America. Metcalf will work with Nash to ensure a smooth transition and will leave the company by the end of 2021 for a new chapter of his personal and professional life.

“Ron epitomizes the best of Laticrete’s continuous focus on development and grooming of the next generation of leaders within our own corporate family,” said Patrick Millot, CEO of Laticrete. "His energy, loyalty to our customers and passion for growth have and will continue to serve our company well. When Ed leaves us later this year, we will miss his leadership but are equally excited about what lies ahead for him as he embarks on a new chapter of his life.”

“We are so grateful to Ed for his outstanding career with Laticrete and for developing Ron as a great successor,” said David Rothberg, chairman. “He will always be a member of our family. Ed’s remarkable tenure, as well as Ron’s growth within the company over the past two decades, demonstrate that successfully planning and implementing a long-term succession plan is at the core of who we are as a family owned company.”

Edward D. Metcalf started as a Laticrete technical representative in southern California in 1985 and joined the corporate office as regional sales manager in 1993. Nash joined Laticrete in October 2004 as regional sales manager in Utah. He moved up through the corporation, ultimately being named senior vice president of sales & marketing, North America, in 2019.

“Just as we place great importance on developing innovative products using the latest technology, we make it a priority to develop home-grown talent that knows our company, our customers and our industry,” said Rothberg.

IPS ADHESIVES REDUCES LEAD TIMES

DURHAM, NC – IPS Adhesives announced today a reduction in lead times for its North America Integra Adhesives and SCIGRIP structural lines of business. Integra Adhesive brand products are returning to a two-week lead time on new orders. SCIGRIP bulk adhesives in drums and pails will be at a three-week lead time, while cartridges remain on a four-week lead time.

Both Integra and SCIGRIP lead times were negatively affected in 2020 due to consolidation efforts between two facilities in North America. The operation and customer service teams have worked diligently over the past 90 days to make internal changes to improve their ability to meet their customer commitments. It is from these efforts that they are now able to reduce lead times to be more in line with customer expectations.

IPS Adhesives is aware of several shortages and supply chain issues occurring in early 2021. In an effort to minimize these disruptions to its customers, the company has strategically procured ahead in key areas of raw materials. This investment is intended to help it perform with minimal disruptions.

“Delivery and fulfillment of quality adhesives are a top priority for us,” said Scott McDowell, president of IPS Adhesives. “We understand how critical it is for our customers to reliably receive IPS Adhesives products on time with good quality. We are excited to be able to serve our customer with quicker delivery times again.”

BB INDUSTRIES ADDS ANOTHER OUTSIDE SALES ASSOCIATE

KNOXVILLE, TN -- Continuing the trend of strengthening West Coast coverage and customer service with several new sales associates and a new fulfillment center, BB Industries has added stone industry veteran Emilio Perez to the team. Perez will service customers in Northern California, up to the Sacramento market. He has been in the industry for decades, working for GranQuartz and Hard Rock Stone Works, and most recently with Columbia Stone Products.

“Emilio has worked with BB Industries sales associates Joe Torres and Cesar Rojas before at other companies, so we are getting the band back together from many years ago when they started in the industry,” said Vice President of Sales Jeff Dykstra. “We are happy to have Emilio and know he will make a great addition to our team, as well as fill in some coverage spots for us in California.”

Emilio Perez joins BB Industries as Californian sales associate.

“Even though BB Industries is a big company, they treated me like they had known me for a long time,” said Perez. “That means a lot to me because I am a relationship guy. My sales philosophy is to give my customers what they need, rather than to just sell them something. It is also a great feeling that the people supporting the outside sales team have tons of industry and product knowledge. I’m excited to see what we can do as a company on the West Coast.”