Jack Carlson, formerly the electrical division president, has been named president of North American business, managing Southwire’s Electrical, Energy and OEM divisions, as well as a newly created Industrial Division and a Canadian wire and cable business.
Norman Adkins is the new electrical division president, moving up from his position as senior vice president of electrical distribution and retail sales for Southwire’s Electrical Division.
Hans Meiring was added last year as president of international and operational development, joining Southwire after serving as CEO of Oman Cables in the Sultanate of Oman.
Doug Ramsey has been promoted to president of industrial sales and marketing in the company’s new Industrial Division.
In his new role as president of North American business, Carlson will lead the Industrial Division, which has a wide variety of cable offerings. The Industrial Division serves the power generation and transit, petrochemical, natural gas, automotive and other markets, as well as institutional campuses such as hospitals, universities, prisons and military bases. As Southwire seeks to synergize its marketing and product development strategies, Carlson also will direct the company’s research and development efforts.
“Jack has been the driver behind the tremendous growth in our electrical business and the division’s recovery from the housing crash several years ago,” said Southwire President and CEO Stu Thorn. “As we continue to expand into new products, markets and geographies, we have a chance to bring our unique blend of technology and culture to new customers. Jack’s vision and knowledge of our markets are key to us making the most of that opportunity.”
Carlson, a 30-year veteran of the electrical industry, joined Southwire in 2001 as president of the Electrical Division. He previously worked in senior management positions with Assa Abloy, Yale Security Group, Groupe Schneider and Square D Company.
The South Jersey native attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Drexel University in Philadelphia and is a 1978 graduate of the College of New Jersey, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He attended Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“This exciting new opportunity allows me to build my knowledge about different segments of the wire and cable industry,” said Carlson. “The focus will continue to be on providing the best-quality, lowest-cost products available, while applying our innovative spirit to differentiate those products by making them a more critical part of the end-users’ success.”
Adkins, who takes over the role of electrical division president, most recently served as senior vice president of electrical distribution and retail sales for Southwire’s Electrical Division. He joined the company in 1998 as director of international sales in the Energy Division and has held a number of management positions, including president of Southwire’s OEM Division, which markets wire and cable to other manufactures who use it in their products.
Prior to joining Southwire, Adkins held a variety of leadership positions in sales, operations, international business and engineering at Corning Incorporated. Adkins earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s of business administration degree in finance and international business from New York University. He is a member of The American Management Association, the Pricing Society and serves as an alumni advisor to the New Venture Mentor Program at New York University.
“Southwire continues to dream big as we seek to make our own dent in the universe,” Thorn said. “That will take having the right people in the right positions to enhance our capabilities and our focus. While we have an extremely skilled management team in place, we are adding talent and resources to make sure all of the bases are covered.”
Meiring is a 40-year veteran of the wire and cable industry and brings global best practices in manufacturing technology and is helping expand the company’s reach into international markets.
He worked for 27 years – 10 of those as chief executive officer – with Aberdare Cables, helping to establish the company’s first fiber optic cable plant in South Africa. Early in his career, he served as project engineer in a joint venture among ITT of America and BICC and STC of the United Kingdom to build the first telecommunication plant in South Africa. With a background in mechanical engineering, Meiring earned a master’s degree in business administration from Buckingham International Business Management School in the United Kingdom.
As president of industrial sales and marketing in the company’s new Industrial Division, Ramsey will work with a wide variety of cable offerings.
The Industrial Division serves the power generation, transit, petrochemical, natural gas, mining, automotive and other markets, as well as institutional campuses such as hospitals, universities, prisons and military bases.
“Under Doug’s leadership, we have gone from being just another company in the industrial sector to a major player,” said Carlson. “As we capitalize on that momentum and expand further into the industrial market, we feel a separate division provides much-needed focus. Doug’s relationships with many of the key industrial players make him the perfect fit to lead our sales and marketing efforts in that area.”
After graduating from Southern Illinois University in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Ramsey began his career as an industrial engineer in the Midwestern coal mines. He entered wire and cable sales in 1986 as a district sales manager when he joined BICC Cablec’s St. Louis, Mo. office.
In 1990, Ramsey was promoted to regional sales manager and transferred to Atlanta to open a regional sales office. While working at BICC Cablec, he returned to school at night and received his MBA degree from Mercer University in 1996.
From 1996 to 2002, Ramsey served as national sales director for Shawflex, leading a sales and marketing team focused on power generation markets throughout the United States. Ramsey joined Southwire in 2002 as national director of power generation, helping focus Southwire on the industrial market. He has served numerous roles within the industrial group, including vice president and, over the last year, senior vice president.
“The success we have achieved is the direct result of the hard work and dedication by the industrial Southwire’s outside and inside sales team,” Ramsey said. “Together, we have met our goals and will continue to achieve new heights.”
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