Stihl named Casey McGrath the branch director at Pacific Stihl in Visalia, Calif.
McGrath will manage the sales, distribution and service of all products, parts and accessories at the company-owned branch. He will also direct the development of marketing and advertising plans for the Visalia, Calif.-based territory, encompassing California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.
“We are excited to have Casey back in this position,” said Nick Jiannas, vice president of sales and marketing at Stihl. “His familiarity with the staff, dealer network and the territory at Pacific Stihl will make for a smooth transition as well as a successful and stable environment.”
McGrath is no stranger to this position, having served in the role from January 2010 to May 2012. He replaces Murray Bishop, who was recently promoted to director of sales at Stihl. McGrath began his career in 1993 as territory manager at Stihl distributor Bryan Equipment Sales. He moved up to other roles including product manager at Stihl, and later northern sales manager and vice president of marketing at Bryan Equipment Sales. Following his time at Bryan Equipment, he was named branch director at Pacific Stihl and most recently held the role of branch director at Northeast Stihl.
Ruppert Landscape recently appointed Cid Wilson of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and John C. Wagner of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to join the company’s board of directors.
As president and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), Cid Wilson helps guide advocacy efforts to increase the representation of Hispanics in Corporate America. In service of these efforts, Wilson directs programs and initiatives that advance Hispanic inclusion in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance at Fortune 500 companies.
Wilson was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Museum of the American Latino Study Commission, served as Board Chairman of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino from 2012 to 2016 and continues to lead advocacy efforts aimed at sustaining Congressional support for the museum’s completion. His passion for service is exemplified through board memberships with leading minority advocacy groups, including LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the National Council of La Raza and Dominicans on Wall Street. He is the former National President of the Dominican American National Roundtable and a Gold Life Member of the NAACP. Before joining HACR, he spent 20 years in corporate finance and Wall Street equity research. Wilson graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in economics. He is a proud Dominican American with Bergen County, New Jersey, roots.
As the National Director for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Wagner focuses exclusively on the risks associated with construction and real estate companies. Before Gallagher, he founded and was CEO of Construction Risk Solutions, a high-end management consulting and risk management firm that specialized exclusively in large construction companies. Prior to starting CRS, Wagner was executive vice president of Willis of Maryland, where he managed the construction practice for the Mid-Atlantic region. Wagner is a national speaker on the subjects of Surety and Risk Management and previously served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Millersville University. He holds a master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Soil Connect hired Jonathan Alvarado as chief growth officer.
In this role, Mr. Alvarado is responsible for overseeing Soil Connect’s customer acquisition and retention strategies. He is also charged with raising brand awareness among professionals in the construction, building and excavation industries.
Cliff Fetner, founder and CEO of Soil Connect, said, “Jonathan has a proven track record of advancing the role disruptive technologies are playing in solving inefficiencies in the antiquated construction industry, and his insights will be invaluable as Soil Connect seeks to transform the transportation and management of soil and aggregates. What’s more, he has established relationships with a strong network of construction professionals and understands what it takes for a startup to become profitable quickly. As a result, he was the ideal candidate for this role and we are excited for him to join our growing team.”
Alvarado joins Soil Connect from construction trucking services app Trux, where he served as national vice president of sales. During his tenure, he built and managed hyper-growth sales engines that grew the platform’s sales by more than 6,000 percent, helping to achieve profitability in less than three years. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he created and managed a highly efficient inside sales force that allowed TRUX to beat its year-over-year sales numbers even amid the marketplace turmoil. Prior to Trux, Mr. Alvarado worked in sales and business development at StoneMakers Corporation. Over the course of his career, he has helped companies generate over $360 million in new revenue across the United States and Canada.
Due to the planned retirement of CEO Douglas C. Welling, Jacobsen Construction Co.‘s board of directors voted unanimously on Wednesday, Nov. 4 to promote Jacobsen President Gary Ellis to the dual role of president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2021.
Welling is retiring, effective Jan. 1, 2021, after 33 distinguished and visionary years with Jacobsen, including 14 years as company president and the last nine years as president and CEO. This change is the result of Jacobsen’s closely followed leadership succession plan that has been in place for several years at the company.
“Gary is very well-prepared for his new responsibilities and brings a clear vision for Jacobsen’s future and has a great team to support him,” Welling said. “I have full confidence and faith in Gary, and I know he feels the same passion I’ve had for Jacobsen’s values and priorities: wowing every client, emphasizing accountability and problem solving in our work, championing employee ownership and empowerment, fostering a culture of caring and job site safety, and dreaming big about every project’s potential to make our communities better.”
Ellis was named to the president’s role in June of 2020 and will additionally continue in that position. He has been with Jacobsen for 20 years, previously serving as chief financial officer (CFO) for six of those years. As he takes on the role of CEO, Ellis brings with him his vast experience in building meaningful, productive and trusted relationships with Jacobsen employees, clients and trade partners.
