Graybar Electric Co. (St. Louis): Martin J. Beagen has been appointed vice president-controller. Beagen will be responsible for Graybar’s financial reporting and accounting functions. Beagen succeeds James H. Kipper, who is retiring after 31 years with Graybar. Beagen is a 25-year Graybar veteran who joined the company as a financial assistant in Detroit. In 1982, he was promoted to financial manager, transferring in that capacity to Melrose Park, Ill., in 1983 and then to Auburn Hills, Mich., in 1987. In 1993, he was named district financial manager of Graybar’s Chicago district in Glendale Heights, Ill. He became assistant treasurer at corporate headquarters in 2000.
ABB Automation Products (Raleigh, N.C.): Bruce Wittbrodt has been named senior vice president and general manager of ABB’s Automation Products, Low Voltage Systems, North American operations. Mike Plaster has been named senior vice president and general manager of U.S. operation for the Automation Products Low Voltage Products & Systems (controls) business. Wittbrodt was General Electric’s head of marketing for low-voltage and medium-voltage switchgear. In addition, he worked for Schneider Electric/Square D Co. and G&W Electric in various sales and marketing positions. He brings more than 22 years of experience in the electrical and automation industry to his assignment. Wittbrodt will be based in ABB’s Low Voltage Products & Systems offices in Wichita Falls, Texas. Plaster brings more than 17 years of experience in the electrical and automation industry. He was most recently with Kirby Risk Supply Co. in Indiana. He also has experience with Schneider Electric/Square D Co. and AC Tech, an AC drives manufacturer. Plaster also will be based in Wichita Falls and be responsible for the operations in Wichita Falls and Syracuse, N.Y.
Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc. (Little Neck, N.Y.): Donald J. Hendler has been appointed president and Stephen B. Sokolow has been appointed vice chairman of the board of directors. Hendler has served the company for more than 35 years. Sokolow has been with the company for 43 years. Harold Leviton will continue in his role as chief executive officer, which he has held along with the position of president, since 1965. In his most recent post as executive vice president, Hendler directed strategic planning, human resource and distribution initiatives, as well as sales, marketing and product development for Leviton and its subsidiaries, Leviton Canada and American Insulated Wire. Sokolow began his career at Leviton in 1961, working his way up over the years from his start as a summer intern to facilities manager and numerous other positions before being appointed executive vice president. In this post, he directs the company’s manufacturing, engineering, distribution and information technology operations.
NESCO (Needham Electric Supply Corp., Canton, Mass.): NESCO has made the following staff additions. Travis Bramlett has joined the company as senior executive account manager. He will be responsible for national accounts out of the Charlotte, N.C., office. Previously, he worked as an outside sales manager for Hughes Supply. Additionally, Rocky Rocha has joined NESCO as director of distribution and operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in the electrical distribution industry. Paul Franchi was promoted to pricing manager. He has held roles ranging from marketing to sales and has held various key management positions.
GE’s Security business (Bradenton, Fla.): Jeff Wilson has been named vertical marketing manager, builders. He will be responsible for working with commercial and residential builders to help them combine the power of integrated technologies for CCTV, burglary and fire detection, access control and environmental monitoring for comprehensive solutions, all from one source.Wilson was recently at GE Healthcare where he was global product manager and directly responsible for P&L management of GE Healthcare’s modular patient monitoring business. Prior to that, he was marketing integration leader and director of product management for GE Smart. He has also held key marketing positions with GE Fanuc, including technical program manager, product manager and marketing manager.
Hubbell Inc. (Orange, Conn.): David G. Nord, the former finance chief of United Technologies Corp.’s aerospace unit, will join Hubbell as its new chief financial officer. Nord will take over the role on Sept. 16 from interim finance chief Gregory Covino, who will return to his position as controller. Covino had been interim financial chief since last November.
Argo International Corp. (Houston): Renee Lauderdale has been assigned office management duties for the Gulf region working with New Orleans, Shreveport, Dallas and Houston operations. Paul Kling has been assigned sales leader duties for operations and Scott Reeves is handling oil and gas account manager duties.