Bittersweet Retirement Opens Door for New Opportunity
After an admirable 44 years, Dennis Vogel is hanging up his hat as VP of Sales and Marketing at IBT Industrial Solutions. From a truck driver/warehouse employee at the IBT Topeka branch in 1974, to 1990 IBT Salesman of the Year, to VP – and many ventures in between – Vogel has been a major asset to IBT’s success.
“I have appreciated the immense value that his passion for achieving success, rigorous work ethic and loyalty has brought to the organization,” says Jeff Cloud, IBT President. “However, I’m confident that IBT has identified the perfect candidate to pass the torch to, who will enrich the IBT legacy moving forward.”
That being said, IBT Industrial Solutions is proud to announce the selection of Dave Humphry as IBT’s new Vice President of Sales, effective April 10th.
Humphry joins IBT from JTEKT/Koyo Bearings, a major IBT supplier, where he was both a Regional Sales Director and National Account Manager. His supplier-side experience brings fresh insight into the organization that will be extremely valuable in his transition into distribution.
“His strong sales background, customer growth focus and people-centric approach make him a solid fit, culturally, and will position IBT well for the future,” Cloud says.
Prior to Koyo, Humphry held leadership positions at Sharp Health Plan, Loctite and NSK Corporation. He holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from New Mexico State University and an MBA from Regis University.
Further E-Team Expansion Aids Growing Company Vision
In a similar trend of expansion and growth, IBT has also announced the promotion of Rick Gerling to Vice President of Business Development.
In this new role, Gerling is tasked with aligning IBT’s Product Group Specialists with Outside Sales personnel, developing new strategies to ensure IBT’s future growth and success. Along with the Product Groups, he will also be responsible for leading IBT’s Contract Services Group, improving and expanding the company’s industrial service offering to better meet customers’ needs.
This hard-earned promotion stems from Gerling’s history of valuable sales experience within the company, beginning at IBT’s Sedalia branch 31 years ago. Hired on as an outside sales representative, he quickly advanced to branch manager and within five years, added the Jefferson City branch to his team. In 2003, Gerling was promoted to regional manager where he continued to increase IBT’s profitability.
“Rick’s knowledge of the industry and tenure within the organization are a perfect fit for this new role and I couldn’t be more excited for the future,” Cloud says. “I am confident that he will continue his long track record of success and will be a major contributor to IBT for many years to come.”